A new 42,000-square-foot community centre in the Marpole neighbourhood of Vancouver will begin construction later this fall after several years of community involvement, a number of board-directed motions and planning efforts from 2016-2019.
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and the City of Vancouver broke ground on the future building site at an event in Oak Park. Members of the Marpole-Oakridge Community Association and local community were on hand to celebrate.
“I want to thank so many people for their passion and support, attending meetings and writing letters to make today happen,” said Mike Burdick, president of Marpole-Oakridge Community Association. “So many have fought hard for this to happen and I am truly honoured to be part of this community.”
The existing Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre is more than 70 years old and past its prime as the local population expands. When the new centre opens in 2025, it will bring several key amenities to the area.
Plans call for a gymnasium, fitness centre and studios, sensory room, multi-purpose spaces, kitchen and fieldhouse with change and washrooms for sport field users.
A childcare centre will make room for up to 74 children. Landscaping with new trees, basketball courts, an outdoor performance space and gathering areas, are also planned.
A future phase will usher in an outdoor pool with a connected spray park and playground, as funding becomes available.
Green and accessible
The building will achieve near zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operation through its 100 per cent electric design, Passive House design and certification, and will achieve LEED Gold certification. It is targeting a 40 per cent reduction in embodied carbon by using a structure made from mass timber. To support green rainwater infrastructure, the building and site will target “capture and clean” of the first 48 mm of rainfall during a 24-hour period.
The facility will also be the first city-owned community centre built to achieve Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) Gold, the highest level of accessibility in the country.
The total cost of the new space amounts to $91.3 million with $3 million from the provincial Growing Communities Fund.
