Residents in the Metrotown area of Burnaby have a new community resource thanks to the development in the neighbourhood.
Last week, the Pioneer Community Resource Centre opened its doors at 4535 Kingsway in Metrotown.
The centre is a 6,000-square-foot space that houses Burnaby Family Life and the Burnaby Hospice Society, non-profit organizations that offer family and individual counselling services and community education and parenting programs.
The centre is part of the Sovereign development that includes a 45-storey mixed use highrise tower with 202 units of residential development above a 13-storey hotel, four lower floors of commercial, retail, restaurant and office spaces, and townhouses, according to a city press release.
The city is also touting the centre as one of the many community amenities since the city initiated its Community Benefit Bonus policy in the late 1990s.
The city said the policy gives developers the opportunity to add density to a building site, in exchange for contributions toward community amenities such as child-care centres, affordable housing units and non-profit spaces.
“Our Community Benefit Bonus Policy continues to demonstrate its tremendous value to Burnaby citizens,” said Mayor Derek Corrigan in a press release. “By offering additional density to developers and concentrating development in our town centres, we both protect Burnaby’s parks, green spaces and single-family neighbourhoods and acquire funds specifically designated for the development of community amenities that enhance life for citizens in all city neighbourhoods and town centres.”
He said the policy is allowing many non-profit organizations to thrive by offering them low-cost leases while also increasing the number of child-care spaces in the city, adding park facilities, creating affordable housing and allowing for construction of civic facilities.
“We are very proud of this policy and the benefits it enables us to offer to Burnaby citizens and non-profit organizations,” he said.
The list of amenities that have been created since the implementation of the Community Benefit Bonus policy include:
w Three group child-care centres (146 child-care spaces)
w 19 units of affordable and/or special needs housing
w Creation of or enhancements to seven city parks
w Construction of or enhancements to four civic facilities
w Construction of five city-owned non-profit office/program spaces
