Updated on January 17, 2016

Two historic buildings in Victoria’s Chinatown will be remediated as part of a mixed-use condo and ground floor commercial development spanning the 500-block of Fisgard Street and Pandora Avenue.

Victoria-based developer Lefevre & Company has acquired the two storey Lum Sam & Look Den Building at 534 Pandora Avenue and it’s two storey Fisgard Street counterpart, the Lee Cheong Building at 533 Fisgard Street, home to the popular Bean Around the World coffee shop. The buildings were constructed in 1884 and 1901, respectively.

The Lum Sam & Look Den Building, built in 1884, is situated at 534 Pandora Avenue. The alleyway running along the length of building's west frontage, dubbed Lee Cheong Alley, will be restored as part of the project.  Citified.ca.

Officially dubbed as Lee Cheong & Lum Sam, the project will incorporate a full remediation of both buildings and feature ground floor commercial units fronting onto Fisgard Street with Lum Sam Courtyard-facing and street-facing condo residences throughout. The Lee Cheong alleyway accessible from Pandora Avenue will wrap around the Lum Sam & Look Den Building and open up to the Lum Sam Courtyard at the rear of both properties. 25 homes will be constructed in total with starting prices in the $300,000 range.

Remediation will begin by late September or early October with completion anticipated by the fall of 2016. Coffee connoisseurs need not worry, however. Staff at Bean Around the World confirm the café will remain open during construction. C

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