Construction begins on downtown Chilliwack affordable housing project

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CHILLIWACK — A downtown Chilliwack housing project that’s been several years in the making has finally broken ground.

VanMar Constructors Incorporated says construction has started at 45835 Spadina Avenue, the former site of Cheamview United Church, for a six-storey building that will offer 64 units of affordable housing units in partnership with Mamele’awt Qweesome/To’o Housing Society (MQHS). VanMar says there will also be ground floor community space for the United Church.

The site is about a half-acre in size near the downtown Chilliwack Save-On-Foods.

The building will feature a first storey split into an indoor common amenity area with an outdoor patio and space for club or lodge uses. The upper storeys will contain 64 residential units including 20 affordable market rental units, 33 rent geared to income units and 11 deep subsidy units, and an outdoor amenity area. The main entrance to the club or lodge will be accessible from Spadina Avenue, while the main residential entry will be on Main Street. The L-shaped building design for the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth storeys will front both Spadina and Main.

The project has been several years in the making. The late MLA Dan Coulter and former Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon announced the project back in June 2021.

In 2019, Chilliwack United Church, Mt. Shannon United Church and Rosedale United Church made the decision to amalgamate as one and become known as Cheam View United Church. They now meet as one congregation in Little Mountain.