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Chilliwack breaks into investment Top 10 Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
It’s not just the economy, affordable real estate and skills-focused education that put Chilliwack on the Top 10 list of B.C. towns for investment in 2013 by the Real Estate Investment Network. It’s also the lowest taxes, a downtown plan with incentives, and impressive GDP gains. Chilliwack made it onto REIN’s ‘must watch’ list, but this is the first time Chilliwack has ever been singled out for its investment potential. “Chilliwack’s lower property values compared to the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland have always been appealing, but rents had not crept up for properties to make sense here,” said Don R. Campbell, one of the report authors and senior analyst with Real Estate Investment Network (REIN). “Investors who know the city and do some digging can certainly find cash-flowing properties here.” There’s a business friendly culture at City Hall. “The secret to investing in Chilliwack,” said Campbell, “is to be very aware of tenant profiles and property locations. Risk is higher for real estate investors in areas undergoing revitalization but the pay off may very well be higher as the City provides redevelopment incentives and has great political leadership welcoming to the investor.” Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz said she’s thankful and the study shows that they’re on the right track, particularly with the Downtown plan and other initiatives they’ve launched. “Redevelopment is always difficult, especially in a depressed Continued: INVESTMENT/ p12
A crew from Clearview Grinding demolishes the school gym at Chilliwack senior on Monday morning. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
CSS grad gets first swipe as school comes down Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Not everyone in the demolition industry gets to tear down their old high school. But CSS grad Chris Duffy, who is also project superintendent with Clearview Grinding, got to do just that early Monday morning. He was in the large excavator outside the Chilliwack secondary gym, ready to take the first swipe at the gym section of the old building at about 8 a.m., as Phase
2 of the new CSS project starts. “When I found out we got the bid, it was, ‘Right on, I’m doing my school!’” said Duffy. “It’s not every kid who gets to knock down his old school.” Duffy, 37, still lives in Chilliwack two decades after attending CSS. “I’m very excited,” he told The Progress on Friday. “For me it’s a big thing. It means I get to work just a few minutes from my home. Usually we’re in Burnaby or Vancouver.” Clear view general manag-
er Brad Morrison said he also recently had the privilege of tearing down his own high school, and Duffy’s son was given the chance to deliver the first hit his school, the old Rosedale middle a few years ago. This time coincidentally, it was Duffy’s turn, as the demolition contract came up for his old high school, Chilliwack senior. The new school’s first phase of construction was complete earlier this summer. Phase 2 starts with the demolition of the existing school.
It’s environmentally conscientious the way Clearview conducts the demolition process. Most of the materials are reduced in size, chopped into smaller pieces using a type of chipper, sorted and recycled. In fact 90 per cent of the waste product is recycled from a Clearview demolition site, said Morrison, and they have end users who are interested in the recycled materials. jfeinberg@theprogress.com Twitter.com/chwkjourno
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