Langley Township council will prepare plans to expand the Aldergrove Community Centre, but it will be a few years before anything moves forward.
Council voted unanimously on Monday, Nov. 6 to start creating conceptual designs and doing pre-project work as early as 2024 for the site at 27030 Fraser Highway, directly to the west of the current community centre location.
Last year, public consultation on what was dubbed the Aldergrove Gateway site took place, and the motion Monday, by Mayor Eric Woodward, noted a number of common themes and options emerged.
Among the ideas were restaurant and commercial uses, recreation and community spaces, and housing options.
By the end of 2025, the last tenant on the Township-owned property, a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet, will see its lease run out, and the entire site could be put to use or redeveloped.
The motion presented Monday does not narrowly specify what could go on the site, but suggests that it would be available for expanding the community centre “and/or other civic, recreation or housing uses.”
Council will put design work in the 2024 budget process for early next year, and if it passes another vote, staff will come back with concepts and potential expansion options. There are also expected to be more chances for public input over the course of 2024.
“I’m sure that the community will be very excited about this,” said Councillor Steve Ferguson. He mentioned being on the task force years ago that led to the original creation of the community centre.
“A number of us at that task force said what’s next,” he said. “This is what’s next.”
Woodward noted that the previous council rejected potential federal funding linked to the site, because of fears it would have turned the location into a “permanant parking lot.”
He noted that there is as yet not even a budget for design work for the site, and that Monday’s motion was starting to put a process in motion so that the Township will have plans once the KFC lease expires in 2025.
“This is intended to get well ahead of the curve,” he said.
Any actual expansions or projects on the site are likely to go forward around the end of the current term, which would be in 2026.