Construction on the Still Creek works yard and recycling depot can begin now that council has approved funding for the project.
At a council meeting in early May, Burnaby council approved plans to finance the project with $31.6 million from the city's gaming funds. The city plans to move engineering and parks department operations from the Laurel Street yard to the new site.
The Laurel Street yard has been the primary city works yard since the 1950s, according to Basil Luksun, director of building and planning, who spoke to the NOW about the project last year when plans were being developed.
"It's just over seven acres," Luksun said, adding the city has grown significantly since the yard opened in 1954. "It's extremely cramped."
The Still Creek site plans include a five-hectare engineering and parks facility, with space for waste management and recycling operations.
The waste management and recycling site is Phase 1 of the project, and rezoning for that went through in May 2010.
The recycling depot, which is already at Still Creek, needs to be relocated to its new location at the site north of Still Creek Avenue to make space for the new works yard and staff car park. The current recycling depot will remain open during construction of the new location, according to a report from the major civic building project coordination committee.
The new works yard is Phase 2 of the project, at the site south of Still Creek Avenue.
Plans for the site include the engineering department's solid-waste operations, the sign shop, traffic bylaw enforcement and some parks department operations.
