The design for the store that will replace the 70-year-old Fort Langley IGA will be unveiled on Thursday in Fort Langley.
After village residents were invited to offer their opinions on a new store, site development plans were prepared, in consultation with the IGA owners, architect Bryce Rositch, and builder Marcon Construction.
The Lee family announced last week that it will reveal these plans at an open house on Thursday, June 23 at the Fort Langley Community Hall, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The plans, which can be viewed at www.fortiga.ca from that day on, show additional shops and a corner plaza.
The old IGA was destroyed by fire on Jan. 4.
Its loss has been devastating to many people in the village, as there is no other grocery store in Fort Langley, and the store served as a meeting place for many. Since the fire, longtime business Frontier Building Supply has also closed its doors.
“We are now ready to go though the development permit process with the Township of Langley,” the Lee family said in a statement.
Once the form and character is approved by council, construction drawings can be prepared for a building permit application.
“We believe the plans for the site maintain the small-town feel and historic character that is so special to our community. As suggested by the community, attractive pedestrian-friendly street frontages are a key design feature of our plans,” the statement added.
The preliminary design shows that the store will have a series of large windows facing Mavis Avenue, providing views in and out of an expanded seating area of the deli, which formerly faced Glover Road.
On the store’s south side large garage-style glass doors will allow the produce section to be opened up to the outside.
The old IGA, which had a parking lot accessed from Church Street, was burned beyond repair when an apparent break-in triggered a fire.
Police and fire investigators have not said how that occurred.