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TWIN RIVER ESTATES has nearly finished phase Il of its three-
stage affordable housing complex for seniors in Terrace. The
units are selling fast, and now the society’s board and the

project manager are in the
recreation centre for the complex.

process of putting together a new
The application for a

government grant is currently under review.

Twin River sets standard for success

by Tod Strachan |

_ The Twin River Estates senior

citizen’s affordable housing project

is on schedule and on budget. The
30 units completed in phase I of
the project have been occupied for

. many months.

Phase II, which also contains 30
units, is nearly complete and opens
tomorrow. Still to be done are a
few finishing touches inside and
out, planting grass, constructing
sidewalks and paving. Twenty-two
of these units have already been
sold and the other eight aren’t
expected to last long on the mar-

ket. The units are currently selling.

for $59,000 for 930 square feet
‘and $69,500 for an 1,170-square
foot unit. )
But this isn’t the most exciting
news from Twin River. Estates,
According to project manager

.Dennis Palmu, a $300,000 activity

centre is being planned as well. If
a $100,000 GO B.C.. grant is
approved, the project could begin

as early as this fall — and a name
has already been picked. Palmu
says it will be called the Tony
Pauls Activity Centre after the
founder of the Twin River Estates
project.

The original idea was to renovate
an old army H-hut on the property,
but Palmu says that plan was
dropped for several reasons,
Because of the size and age of the
building, it would have been too
expensive to renovate, maintain
and operate, it’s not in an ideal
location, and it would have been
impossible to renovate it ina way
that would have made it blend in
with the estates’ setting.

Instead, the new plan is to tear
this building down and construct a
new 4,000 square foot, two-story
building on the southwest comer
of the property. The lower floor.
wlll provide workshop and crafl
areas as well as storage, and the

_second floor. will contain an activ-
jty arca, office, board room, a.

small library, and a covered sun-

deck on the south side.

Palmu says the Tony Pauls
Activity Centre will preform an
important function at Twin River
Estates. Seniors living in the com-
plex wili have free access to the
facility, and the social events and
activities will help to maintain
contact with the rest of the com-
munity. "We're interested in main-
taining a rapport and relationship
with the community," Palmu
explains, "so it’s a statement that
we're open to the community."

Once the existing building is torn

down, Twin River Estatcs will

need a new office, but Palmu says
that problem has already been
solved. Unit number 55 in the
second phase of the project has
been furnished by Totem Furniture
and will begin serving as the
estate's ‘office until the activity
centre has been completed.

It may be difficult {o hang'on to

unit number 55 for that length of
lime; though. Palmu says that

Twin River Estates has proveh to:

be popular as a regional facility.
Seniors from Prince Rupert, Kiti-
mat and Smithers have moved into
ihe complex, and there are a few
others who moved here from as far
away as Vernon and Victoria.
Palmu says he doesn’t find this
surprising. When compared to
similar facilities in the lower main-
land, units at Twin River Estates
are far less expensive. This is
primarily due to the fact that the
society hired a project manager
locally and built the facility them-

+

selves. Projects in the lower main-
land, on the other hand, were built
by private developers and sold at a
profit.

Phase HI of the project is
planned to begin next April and
will contain the final 24 units of
the complex. Phase III was ori-
ginally planned with 30 units, says
Palmu, but it has since been
decided that by reducing the size
there would be room for small
park and picnic area on the north-
west corner of the property.

General contract for
Hazelton school awarded

Stuart Olson General Contractors will build the new $13 mil-

lion Hazelton Education Centre.

The contract award was announced by Scheol District 88 Aug.
23, The school will replace the aging Hazelton Secondary School. -
District officials expect the school to be finished and d ready f for

use In the: fall of 1991.

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