The family behind Standard Furniture has acquired the Douglas Street site of the former Ricky’s All Day Grill, which was destroyed by fire last June.
The company plans to build a flagship store on the triangle-shaped property at Douglas and Burnside, after purchasing it for $2.5 million, said co-owner Parm Dodd.
Dodd said the property — which was also once a gas station — will undergo soil testing for contaminants before the company applies for permits, and it could take up to three years before the doors open on the new store.
The initial plan is to build a three-storey 21,000-square-foot glass and concrete furniture showroom, with the front entrance facing Douglas and Burnside. Early designs call for eight surface parking stalls and 20 underground, with the entrance to parking and a loading dock off Burnside.
“It will be a very modern building,” Dodd said in an interview. “We’ve been looking for a new site for quite some time now and this was just perfect.”
He said available lots in the Victoria area are being snatched up by Lower Mainland developers for high-rise residential projects.
“It’s hard to find a square-box [lot] solution because everybody wants them … they’re easier to build on,” said Dodd. “That’s why when this land became available, we took it. It’s harder to build on, but it’s a great location.”
The new building will have about 7,000 square feet more floor space than Standard Furniture’s current location on Cloverdale Avenue, and the top floor will be designated for a design centre and furniture tailored to smaller living spaces.
Dodd said the company is bullish on the future of retail furniture and design services, as high-rise residential towers and multiple homes on single-family lots will be dominating the building scene for years to come.
The site is zoned commercial, but the shape of the lot presents challenges. A feasibility study on the property by DMPA Architecture said a variance to reduce the setback along Douglas Street will be required to permit more retail space on the main floor.
It said another variance will be needed for parking, as there isn’t a specific category for retail furniture showroom in the City of Victoria parking bylaw. It said a study from a transportation consultant to support the projected on-site parking may be required.
Standard Furniture traces its roots back to 1911 and has been in the Dodd family for more than a quarter century at its current location at 758 Cloverdale Ave.
Iqbal and Harjeet Dodd operate the store with sons Parm and Kelly, and also own the Ashley Home store in View Royal.
Iqbal Dodd, 68, is the younger brother of Gordy Dodd of Dodd’s Furniture, though the businesses are separate.
The high-traffic corner lot on Douglas Street had been listed for sale at the time of the Ricky’s All Day Grill fire, which was determined to be arson.
Victoria police did not immediately respond to an inquiry Tuesday about the progress of the arson investigation.
VicPD arrested a man in late August for three other nearby fires.
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