September 2016 during its board meeting, BCHS tabled a request to have Ben Pires look into options for the property and make recommendations. Ben assembled a small team to take on the task. His team composed of:
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Elaine Wong
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Fredilyn Ruiz
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Lani Domaloy
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Mike Gonzalez
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Sid Emmanuel
Several meetings were conducted with Capital Regional District (CRD) Housing, Pacifica Housing, The Cridge Centre for the Family, Colliers International, and Urbana, the Centre's neighbour.
Pacifica Housing did a preliminary feasibility assessment, on a pro bono basis to assess the feasibility of an innovative, cooperative development model between BCHS and Pacifica Housing. Based on consultations with an architect and the city, it was concluded that a housing-cum-community centre at the Bayanihan site is not a feasible project at 1709 Blanshard Street. Several difficulties include:
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constraints to parking, access for vehicles, and accessibility of larger equipment [e.g. cranes] during construction
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property is an interior lot and it is undeveloped -- it is best developed in conjunction with a neighboring property to enable the best realization of permitted development potential for the area
Going forward in recommending an option to the BCHS board, the team is now engaging in a consultation with the community through the Bayanihan website -- promoted through e-mail and social media — to get the pulse of the community on some BASIC questions, in light of the situational analysis noted above.
Before proceeding though, you are encouraged to read through the background documentation with links below to get a better understanding of the situation so you can provide an informed recommendation.
This exercise is comprised of 3 parts namely: (click through the parts to bring you to the page)
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Details the organizational structure of Bayanihan and its supporting associations
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Important timelines and activities leading to ownership of the property
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Financial health
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Building as it is
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Challenges in engaging volunteers
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Options available
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Your comments and recommendation
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