The new Chamber of Commerce building in Castlegar is $2 million closer to reality.
The chamber was announced Tuesday as the recipient of a $1 million grant from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport. It comes on the heels of a same-size grant from the province’s rural economic diversification and infrastructure program.
“We are so incredibly thrilled,” said chamber executive director Tammy Verigin-Burk. “It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time, in particular with the rising costs of this development. This has been a game changer for us.”
The money will go toward a 7,000 square-foot building to be known as The Confluence, and to be built on the site of the chamber’s old home on 6th Avenue.
Verigin-Burk said building costs have increased to $6.7 million from what was originally projected at $5.1 million. The chamber had already raised about $4 million.
The latest funding means the chamber will be able to award its construction contract and break ground in May.
The old building was demolished last year. While construction on the new building hasn’t started, Verigin-Burk said there has been “quite a bit of infrastructure work” on the site including putting in drywells, removing unsuitable soil, and grading. But soon the work will become more more noticeable.
“People will see it move quite quickly because the majority of the building is mass timber from Kalesnikoff Lumber so people will see the structure go up much faster than a traditional build,” she said.
The building is expected to be completed in just over a year. In addition to becoming home to a new visitor centre and chamber offices, it will also have co-working space and offices for lease.