A proposed $11.2-million redesign of Victoria’s Centennial Square has been approved in principle by city council.
Victoria councillors spent more than three hours debating a design that its creators say embraces “joy and whimsy” as one of its guiding principles.
The design calls for multiple water features, increased crowd capacity and improved sightlines at the expense of losing the central fountain and a large seqouia tree in the square’s east end.
Coun. Susan Kim praised the square’s redesign for its attentiveness to play.
Quoting French philosopher Henri Lefebvre, Kim said cities need equalized places of play and rest to combat growing commodification and inequality in society.
“This is it. This is creating spaces that will fight inequality, where generations of kids will get to play together regardless of their household income, regardless of the resources they have available to them,” she said.
Several councillors made suggestions to make the square more children and family friendly, including a slide near city hall, and more bathroom facilities.
“The washroom in the parkade is one of the least enjoyable ones to use in the city. It’s a little scary, it’s a little dingy, and let’s just be honest — it’s not a great public washroom at the moment,” said Coun. Jeremy Caradonna.
The design calls for new washrooms and changing rooms next to a commercial kiosk that would be built on the south side of the square.
A request for staff to look for ways to improve the square for children received unanimous support from council, though Coun. Chris Coleman suggested that children will find a way to play in the square regardless of what features city staff decide to introduce.
“A number of years ago, we had some public art in this square that looked like partial orcas. The kids loved climbing over them and we were going, ‘no no, that’s public art,’ ” he said.
Council voted in favour of the redesign 6-3, with councillors Marg Gardiner, Stephen Hammond, and Coleman against.
Two amendments were passed, asking staff to look at the redesign with the aim of making the area more friendly to businesses and to find ways to commemorate the sequoia tree that will be removed. The non-native tree was planted shortly after the square was completed and wasn’t part of the original design, said Derrick Newman, the city’s parks, recreation and facilities director.
Newman said the tree will threaten numerous power, telecom and water lines if it is allowed to continue to grow. “It’s not a question of if the tree will need to be removed. It will be when will the tree need to be removed.”
The design features a net gain of 14 trees, which will be planted with an eye toward appropriate scales and root management, according to a staff report.
Some of the new water features, such as a splash pad and a shallow pool, would be built on the space where the central fountain is currently located.
Historians, architects and others have urged the city to preserve the fountain, saying that it has critical historic value to the city.
A recent conservator evaluation of the fountain monoliths estimated that the Italian mosaics laid in traditional relief style require about $125,000 worth of restoration work alone.
The conservator’s report, which is not publicly available, found the fountain design is damaging the monoliths due to cascading mists eroding the grout holding the mosaic tiles in place, city staff said. The Centennial Square fountain was a gift from Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay in 1965 for Victoria’s centennial celebrations.
Gardiner opposed the redesign, saying that the proposed new site for the monolith artwork would be “hiding them” away from public view and that other priorities, such as replacing Victoria’s Crystal Pool and investing in parks, are more important.
The monoliths would be housed in a non-damaging “reflecting pool” in the east end of the square, near Douglas Street and the sixth-busiest bus stop in the capital region.
Gardiner proposed delaying a decision about the square until an examination of the fountain had been referred to the city’s Heritage Advisory Committee, but that was defeated in a 6-3 vote.
Gardiner’s next proposal, to put the Centennial Square redesign project to public referendum, did not receive support from any other councillor and was dropped from discussion.
Coleman cited the loss of the fountain as one reason why he voted against the redesign.
“It’s an homage of the past, I understand that, but I think we lose something in the process,” he said of the proposed monolith relocation.
In voting against the redesign, Hammond said that while he thought it was “a wonderful project,” he couldn’t justify the financial burden that it would cause.
Councillors supporting the redesign said that it would bring life to a square that has been traditionally underused. The first phase of construction is expected to begin in fall 2025, with access to the parkade, washrooms and pedestrian pathways preserved.
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