Following years of obstacles, administrators push to acquire Chilliwack facility
According to a March 13 UFV Senate report, a third appraisal is now underway for a building in the Chilliwack Educational Park (CEP) that the university has been attempting to purchase since 2016.
The “1041 Building,” which was previously used by the Canadian military, is located near UFV’s Technology and Trades Centre in Chilliwack. The report states that UFV acquired funding to purchase the structure from the province in 2017, but several complications have since arisen, preventing the sale.
In 2018, Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) required the property be re-appraised, and the new appraisal was evaluated to be significantly more expensive than previous assessments had shown. In response, UFV officials negotiated in 2019 for another appraisal using revised methodology in the hope of receiving a lower figure. According to the Senate report, this new appraisal is now underway, and UFV hopes to have the purchase completed later this year.
In addition to the dispute over the building’s appraisal, the Senate report cites “multi-party interests” and “federal obligations and changing mandates” (including necessary consultations with over 20 First Nations bands) as reasons for the delays.
UFV has previously leased the 1041 Building from its current owner, the Department of National Defence (DND), using it for instruction in the heavy mechanical trades program. Dave Pinton, Director of Communications, said he believed that if the purchase is completed, the facility will continue to be used in this role.
The Chilliwack Progress reported that UFV’s interest in the building dates back as far as 2012, when university officials first toured the structure following the end of its use by the Canadian Forces.
Image: The Cascade
