This week, District of Squamish officials rubber-stamped up to $300,000 in a grant and development fee waivers for the community's proposed downtown social services hub.
Last month, council backed a proposal to axe $108,500 worth of district development charges and donate $188,000 to Centrepoint, a project that would place all Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS) programs under one roof.
The $8.2 million facility, to be built on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Victoria Street, will also provide a new home for the Squamish United Church the current owner of the property. Plans include community rooms, office space, a preschool and a floor of affordable housing.
The district grant, officially announced on Monday (July 22), will come out of the municipality's Affordable Housing Reserve. The building will aid district officials' efforts to revitalize downtown, Mayor Rob Kirkham said in a statement. Centrepoint fits with council's mission to embrace opportunities for enhancing community liveability, he said.
The building's affordable housing and community rooms will bring benefits to many for a long time to come, Kirkham said.
In supporting the project early on, the district demonstrated great leadership, said Owen Carney, co-chair of Centrepoint's volunteer fundraising team.
We're pleased to be working with them and very grateful for this financial support, he said.
SSCS and church volunteers are out in force, with a target of raising $3 million to build Centrepoint. Both the United Church and SSCS are running their own fundraisers. SSCS offers more than 40 programs helping approximately 4,000 people annually, in areas ranging from child development to counselling and addiction recovery.
To donate or for more information visit www.buildingopportunities.ca.
