McCall Bros. Funeral Homes and Cremation Services has sold its downtown property, where it has operated for 93 years, and plans to consolidate in an expanded facility at its 2.3-acre Sequoia Gardens property in Saanich’s Royal Oak area.
Its downtown lot, on 20,000 square feet at Johnson and Vancouver streets, includes a John Di Castri-designed chapel and gathering space built in 1955 and an administration office built in 1961. A nearby parking lot covers 30,000 square feet.
“It makes the best business sense for us to streamline our resources and energy into one main location that we can expand upon and enhance our services over time,” said company president David McCall, grandson of David McCall Sr., who founded the company with brother James McCall in 1921.
“Our Royal Oak location is co-located at Royal Oak Burial Park and has the room we need to expand over time.”
Selling the downtown property was “bittersweet,” he said.
McCall Bros. has a two-year window to relocate to Falaise Drive in Royal Oak, McCall said. “The new purchaser has been very liberal and understanding of our business.”
The local buyer intends to put the landmark building to commercial use, and hopes to put up condominiums on the parking lot, McCall said.
The name of the buyer and the sale price were not disclosed.
Family-owned and operated McCall Bros. deals with about 800 families every year, meaning it has served many thousands and several generations of local residents. It has 13 full-time and 10 part-time staff.
McCall Bros. will open a smaller office in Victoria to maintain continuity. A location has not yet been determined.
In the past year, the company carried out consumer research that included a survey of more than 400 local residents. It found that people prefer services in a tranquil, modern setting connected to the outdoors, such as Sequoia Gardens, which opened in 1998.
Sequoia Gardens can hold about 60 people. An expansion will allow it to accommodate groups of up to 250. Other features include a commercial kitchen.
Investment in the two-storey, 8,000-square-foot expansion at Sequoia Gardens is estimated at $1.5 million. Construction is expected to start in 2015.
McCall plans to be fully moved into Sequoia Gardens within 18 months.
Meanwhile, the downtown location will remain open and all commitments honoured.
The fourth generation of McCalls will be taking on more prominent roles in the company in the near future. Trevor McCall, David McCall’s son, will become president. Craig McCall Williams, David McCall’s nephew, will become operations manager.
David McCall will serve as company chairman, as an adviser, and will assist people who request him personally.
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