The neighbourhood of Queensborough has undergone many changes over the decades. Today, Queensborough is a vibrant and emerging community with a rapidly redeveloped waterfront area known as Port Royal.
In keeping with its growth, the well-used Queensborough Community Centre is undergoing a major facelift.
Originally built in 1978, the new expansion to the Queensborough Community Centre will be a jewel for its residents and visitors alike.
"Funding of the $6.2 million expansion was provided by through an agreement between the city, the province with additional contributions for the replacement of the cladding, roofing, glazing and flooring to the existing centre under the city's capital funding program, " says Renee Chadwick, manager of Queensborough Community Centre.
With the community, Queensborough Special Programs Committee and staff team, it was identified that the expansion would include: a new library, childcare centre, multi-purpose spaces for youth and seniors, police office spaces and a large state-of-the-art fitness centre, to name just a few.
The result is 13,200-square-feet of much-needed extra space.
As people enter the centre, the central foyer will resemble a grand living room, complete with a fireplace, comfortable couches and seating areas and a large flat screen television.
"The lobby itself will be beautiful and bright and will be a safe, comfortable meeting place for residents to connect with one another," says Chadwick, adding the total project cost is estimated at $7.67 million. "We also identified that food is important so there will be a commercial size, fully equipped community kitchen."
The centre will further be enhanced by an art gallery wall, which will be rotatedon a monthly basis by a local art group - Artists in the Boro.
In keeping with the City of New Westminster's commitment to sustainability, the expansion will be constructed to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environment Design) Gold Standards. Between the expansion and the upgrades to the existing facility, the entire centre will look like a new community centre.
"We also replaced the windows and skylights to bring it into the 21 st century," she adds.
The theme for the revitalized centre is Life on the River, so the hues chosen for both the interior and exterior are what is found in nature, including blues, whites and soft browns.
"All the names of the different rooms in the facility relate to the surroundings," Chadwick says.
In addition, the centre will be a one-stop shop for residents to pay their city bills property taxes, utility bills, dog licenses and even parking tickets.
In the end, Chadwick feels that the new QCC will create more opportunities for connectivity and strenghten working relationships with the residents community organizations and service providers.
