The City of Burnaby wants to find a local non-profit a better home.
Mayor Mike Hurley said Burnaby Neighbourhood House “really needs help,” after the non-profit's executives told council their facility in Burnaby North is “crowded and overflowing” and faces increasing rent costs.
The facility offers programs for newcomers, children and seniors, as well as a Food Hub.
At a planning committee meeting in February, Hurley motioned for staff to look for a developer to help supply a space in Burnaby North for the non-profit.
The city will look for possible partners through two routes.
Staff will search for a developer who could build the new space somewhere in Burnaby North using cash the city has received in exchange for allowing additional housing in town centres, according to general manager of planning and development, Ed Kozak, at the committee meeting.
Alternatively, the new facility could be provided by a developer as an on-site, in-kind amenity space in either Lougheed or Brentwood, Kozak said.
The mayor also suggested he was open to possibilities and didn’t want to limit potential solutions.
“I’d just like to start the process to see where we could finish up. Right now, we’re sitting, spinning our wheels, and they’re struggling to keep operating in an effective way,” Hurley said, adding the neighbourhood house does “wonderful work” in the community.
Council unanimously approved of the proposal to seek development partners and explore interim locations at its March 11 meeting.
