‘Allandale pit’ in Colwood to be home of new BC Transit distribution centre

The under-construction buildings at the Allandale pit in Colwood will be getting new tenants.

BC Transit is preparing to move its parts storage to three warehouses at 650 Allandale Road.

The federal, provincial and local governments are investing $20.6 million to establish a Provincial Distribution Centre for BC Transit at the Allandale location in Colwood.

The Government of Canada is investing $2.3 million, The Government of British Columbia is investing $8.4 million and local governments are investing $9.8 million.

The warehouses will store parts for buses across the province, including Battery Electric Buses, to support fleet maintenance.

“Ensuring the accessibility and reliability of public transit is critical to building a more equitable and sustainable future for all British Columbians,” said Rob Fleming, B.C.’s minister of transportation and infrastructure.

“This investment in BC Transit’s Provincial Distribution Centre will help make sure that BC Transit’s fleet of vehicles are on the road and getting British Columbians where they need to go in communities all around the province.”

A benefit of the new centre is improving the safety and working environment for employees by eliminating the need to work outside in bad weather.

BC Transit tells CHEK News the current provincial warehouse is located at the Langford Transit Centre and movingit will free up space in the Langford location for the maintenance needs of the Victoria transit system.

“The current warehouse space doesn’t meet the needs of BC Transit, with multiple offsite locations currently being utilized for storage, plus a large number of shipping containers being used for parts storage,” the statement to CHEK News says.

“The new facility will be three times larger than the warehouse at the Langford Transit Centre and will continue to meet projected BC Transit needs over the long term. Increased lead times in supply chain and continued pressure on storage requirements have necessitated the increase in required storage and distribution space.”

Additionally, parts for all transit systems across the province, other than Metro Vancouver, will now be centralized here and will both come and go from this location.

The property under development has been referred to by locals as the “Allandale pit” because it was a former gravel pit site.

RELATED: Tap-and-go payment pilot coming to BC Transit buses in Victoria

Editorial Policies Report an Error