Lougheed Town Centre is next on the City of Burnaby’s docket to get a new community resource centre.
Edmonds, Brentwood and Metrotown each have between 15,000 and 18,000 square feet in community resource centre space, while Lougheed has a total of zero.
As the city expects to see 11,000 new homes come to Lougheed and more than 24,000 new residents, council approved a staff recommendation to work with developers to build a new community resource centre in Lougheed of at least 15,000 sq. ft.
The resource centres are city-owned spaces leased to Burnaby-based non-profits at below market rate, similar to neighbourhood houses and community halls.
Staff will begin a call for proposals to find a non-profit to occupy the space and help design it.
The city currently supports 23 different non-profits at seven community resource centres throughout Burnaby, according to a recent staff report.
The non-profits offer services and programs to residents, usually at no or low cost.
The approval for the Lougheed community resource centre comes along with council approval for staff to begin a report assessing the need for community and social infrastructure in Burnaby.
The city has applied for a grant from the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM)’s Complete Communities program, which can contribute up to $150,000.
The report said Burnaby’s infrastructure needs to keep pace with population growth, but noted “infrastructure” isn’t limited to roads, sewer, water and other utilities.
Just as important, staff said, is community and social infrastructure, like schools, health facilities, libraries, community centres, parks, child-care centres, neighbourhood houses, community resources, public plazas, theatres and more.
“These facilities and spaces support and promote the health, wellbeing and resilience of residents,” said the report.
The city can use its community benefit bonus policy to build this type of facility.
Staff said at council they hope the assessment report on community infrastructure will be done within a year.
The most recent community resource centre opened in Brentwood last November.
Community resource centres in Burnaby
Brentwood
- Holdom Community Resource Centre: opened 2008; 5,045 sq. ft. (2101 Holdom Ave.)
- Brentwood Community Resource Centre: opened 2014; 6,106 sq. ft. (2055 Rosser Ave.)
- Celeste Redman Community Resource Centre: opened 2022; 4,231 sq. ft (2038 Rosser Ave.)
Metrotown
- McKercher Community Resource Centre: opened 2000; 2,500 sq. ft. (6140 McKercher Ave.)
- Metrotown Community Resource Centre: opened 2014; 11,017 sq. ft. (4460 Beresford St.)
- Pioneer Community Resource Centre: opened 2015; 4,704 sq. ft. (4535 Kingsway)
Edmonds
- Edmonds Neighbourhood Community Resource Centre: opened 1994; 17,436 sq. ft. (7355 Canada Way)
