Shovels are finally in the ground on the Centrepoint project.
District of Squamish work crews were at the development’s downtown property on Nov. 25 disconnecting the site’s water and sewer services, marking the beginning of the site preparations for the construction of Centrepoint, which is being built in a partnership between Sea to Sky Community Services and Squamish United Church.
Centrepoint will include various community rooms, a church sanctuary, preschool, programming rooms for social services, 32 affordable housing rental units and office space.
“BC Hydro needs to turn off the power in the next few days and then Trinity Hall will be torn down. The timing for the demolition is a bit up in the air, due to needing to coordinate several tasks,” said Estelle Taylor, communications and fundraising manager with Sea to Sky Community Services, adding that she could not provide an exact demolition date.
“We are hoping to get the demolition work donated by a local company – a great Christmas present to the community, I’d say.”
Getting to this point has taken a little longer than expected.
The project first received council’s nod in November of 2012.
The Squamish United Church donated its land and buildings at Fourth Avenue and Victoria Street to Sea to Sky Community Services for the development, and the last Sunday service at the church was held last May 24.
It was expected at that time construction on Centrepoint would begin over the summer.
“Site preparations are getting underway a bit later than originally envisioned due to the two partners revising the interior building design a bit to keep construction costs affordable,” Taylor said.
Mayor Patricia Heintzman said the project adds to what is becoming a vibrant downtown.
“It’s fantastic. I think it will be a phenomenal community amenity and really nice for downtown,” she said. “I think downtown is going to see a real makeover in the next three to five years and it will dramatically change Squamish, but the downtown in particular and this neighbourhood will become really vibrant.”
