Customs House Condos on Victoria's Inner Harbour

The History of the Customs House on Government Street

The building's history page says the Customs House was built in 1914, designed by David Ewart, chief architect of the federal Department of Public Works, on the granite foundations of the city's 1898 post office. It remained federally owned until Cielo bought it, and sat empty for years after federal tenants and small retailers moved out. A plaque the Government of Canada put up in 1992 records that a 1957 section was renovated that year by Public Works Canada to add shops and a heritage-style facade in keeping with the 1914 building.

The City of Victoria's heritage register lists 816 Government Street, together with 811-813 Wharf Street, as the Post Office and Customs House Extensions, with a designated status. Do not confuse this building with the Old Victoria Custom House, also called the Malahat Building, at 1002 Wharf Street: that Second Empire building, built in 1874 and 1875, is a separate National Historic Site of Canada.

Restoration and the New Addition

During the rebuild, the century-old facades were held in place with a steel support structure while the interior was taken down and rebuilt, and the building was seismically upgraded. Cielo describes a seven-storey addition bringing about 85,000 sq ft of new homes, with about 15,000 sq ft of retail at street level; award coverage counted nine ground-floor commercial spaces. The new section is clad in limestone to match the heritage stonework.

In January 2023, Business Examiner reported that Customs House was named Award of Excellence winner in the Renovation category at the 2022 Capital Region Commercial Building Awards.

Homes at Customs House

Customs House has 57 homes, although one listing source counts 56, with more than 40 different layouts served by four elevators. Units in the heritage portion keep restored interior brick walls, and Cielo promotes views across the Inner Harbour. Early coverage described homes of roughly 1,450 to 4,400 sq ft, and Business in Vancouver reported that a penthouse of about 4,000 sq ft sold for $10 million during presales.

With only 57 homes, listings come up only now and then, and the one active listing in late October 2026 is a 2,353 sq ft two-bedroom. The developer does not publish a current feature sheet, so ask the seller for the suite's specifications, which part of the building it is in, and what parking and storage come with it.

Living on Government Street at the Inner Harbour

Cielo calls the site a gateway to Victoria's Old Town. Tourism Victoria describes Government Street as the main route from the Inner Harbour into downtown, lined with shops and restaurants and leading on to Bastion Square, Lower Johnson and Chinatown, and it places the Victoria Visitor Centre at the corner of Wharf and Government streets, overlooking the harbour. The Lower Causeway and the David Foster Walkway follow the water, the Fairmont Empress overlooks the harbour, and the BC Parliament Buildings face it from Belleville Street.

Bastion Square, entered through an arch at View and Government streets, marks the original site of Fort Victoria and fills with patios and a seasonal artisan market in summer. Homes here are in Greater Victoria School District 61, whose School Locator confirms catchment schools. For more on the core, see our Downtown Victoria neighbourhood guide.

Buying a Condo at Customs House

Ask whether a listing is a resale or a home sold by the developer. GST may apply to a home bought new from the developer but generally not to a resale, and first-time buyers should check current federal and BC rebates with an advisor.

BC's 2-5-10 home warranty covers the building envelope for five years and structure for ten, so a project finished in the fall of 2021 is near the end of its envelope term. Because Customs House combines a restored heritage building with new construction, ask how warranty coverage applies to each part and get the policy dates.

Read the bylaws and rules, the Form B information certificate, recent minutes, the budget, the contingency reserve fund and the depreciation report. In a designated heritage property, ask whether the designation affects exterior changes, and look at the cost of maintaining stone facades and shared systems such as the elevators. BC strata corporations have not been able to restrict long-term rentals since November 24, 2022, though they can still limit rentals of 30 days or less, and pet rules vary, so check the bylaws.

Customs House Compared with Other Downtown Condos

Customs House sits at the top of the downtown market, with heritage character, an Inner Harbour setting and very few homes for sale at any time. Compare it with other luxury condos in downtown Victoria and downtown waterfront condos, look at The Pearl Residences, a newer Old Town waterfront building, or browse all Downtown Victoria condos for sale.