The Elk Valley Family Society (EVFS) is working with the City of Fernie to explore redevelopment of the former firehall at 692 3rd Ave.

While the new building is still being designed, it is intended to be mixed-use, with new commercial space on the ground floor and long-term rental residences above. Residences will likely be a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom units affordable to a mix of incomes, including low to middle-income residents working in the downtown core.

This initiative kicked off last fall when EVFS submitted a request to the City of Fernie for a long-term site lease under the city’s Land Acquisition and Disposition Policy.

The council granted permission to undertake diligence on the site and explore its redevelopment at their regular meeting on Sept 12, 2023.

If the site is acceptable and the project is deemed economically feasible, EVFS will proceed with formalizing its partnership with the City of Fernie through a long-term lease (one of many requirements for project funding).

The new building will be designed to complement the existing buildings in the City’s historic

downtown core. The existing building, originally built in 1973 as a tire shop, will be demolished to allow for the new development. Alongside the building design, long-term funding needs to be secured.

As the former firehall is now a surplus city asset, the City of Fernie will be rezoning the site from its current civic use to a zoning aligned with Fernie’s downtown core. This rezoning is a separate city-led process, and the City of Fernie will provide more details as the process rolls out.

As part of its diligence, EVFS will be undertaken on-site in the coming weeks, including a property survey and a geotechnical investigation requiring a small drilling rig.

“The city is very pleased to support the Elk Valley Family Society with advancing this much needed redevelopment of a key and under-utilized corner of downtown. Leveraging city-owned property to improve affordable housing availability and the diversity of housing types is a key facet of council’s Strategic Plan,” said City of Fernie Mayor Nic Milligan.

Since the relocation of Fernie Fire and Emergency Services to a temporary firehall location on Railway Ave. the building has been unoccupied, except as storage for off-season city fleet equipment.

Activity is expected on the property in the coming weeks, as EVFS will be undertaking site assessments as part of their due diligence, including a geotechnical investigation requiring a small drilling rig, a city media release noted.

An application to re-zone the site to allow for mixed-use development is expected to come before council in June.

e-KNOW file photo

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