New Vancouver Jewish Community Centre project sees $36 million donation

Jan 18 2023, 9:48 pm

The effort to provide the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver with a new replacement facility with significantly expanded space in Vancouver’s Oakridge area is now on the receiving end of a $36 million donation.

As of this week, the combined contribution by the family foundations of the Roadburg family, the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation and the Al Roadburg Foundation, is the single largest donation given to the project, now named JWest.

“Strengthening and securing communities is at the heart of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, and we saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that,” said Bernard Pinsky, chair of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, which was created in 2021 through the estate of the late Vancouver businessman Ronald Roadburg.

“Ronald Roadburg was active in Vancouver real estate. With his vision to establish philanthropic goals for his estate, JWest is a perfect opportunity to leave a legacy in the city of Vancouver.”

Al Roadburg’s namesake foundation was initiated in 1997 to support local charities and Israel’s food and housing security and healthcare issues. Al, the father of Ronald, is known for his major scrap metal recycling business in BC, and for passing on his real estate business to his son.

The donation is intended to be a matching challenge to further propel the campaign to reach its ultimate goal.

This follows a $25 million donation by the Diamond Foundation in September 2022, With the Roadburg and Diamond donations combined, this brings the total amount raised to $88 million of the $161 million philanthropic goal from private sources.

Both the federal and provincial governments have committed significant funding to JWest, with each contributing $25 million for a total of $50 million from senior governments. The federal contribution was announced in December 2022, while the provincial contribution was made in April 2021.

The non-profit organization estimates the total cost of the two-phased redevelopment is $427 million, with $155 million for the first phase based on a 2025 completion, and $272 million for the second based on a 2028 completion.

Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver 950 West 41st Avenue

Artistic rendering of the first phase of the new community and recreation hub (right) and the second phase of rental housing towers (left) of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

950 West 41st Avenue Vancouver Jewish Community Centre

Site plan of the Jewish Community Centre redevelopment at 950 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver 950 West 41st Avenue

Layout of the first phase of the new community and recreation hub (left) and the second phase of rental housing towers (right) of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

The first phase deals with building a new eight-storey, 245,000 sq ft community centre on the surface parking lot immediately east of the existing community centre. The existing community centre, located near the southeast corner of the intersection of West 41st Avenue and Oak Street, will remain open during construction.

There will be a new larger aquatic centre, gymnasiums, fitness facilities, 450-seat performing arts theatre, Holocaust Education Centre, library, gallery, and office space for community partner organizations and internal administration. This building will be topped off by an Early Childhood Education Facility with a childcare capacity for 108 young kids — more than double the existing building’s childcare capacity and in addition to the new replacement space for the existing after-school program for 100 elementary-age kids.

The second phase will involve the demolition of the existing community centre building for the construction of two towers reaching up to 26 storeys — containing 500 units of secured rental housing for a range of incomes and an underground parking facility. Significant outdoor recreation and open green spaces are also planned.

The base levels of the second phase will accommodate a new replacement and expanded home for King David High School, which is currently located within a 2005-built building just east of the existing community centre’s parking lot. Acton Ostry Architects is the redevelopment’s design firm.

jewish community centre of greater vancouver

Artistic rendering of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. (Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver)

950 West 41st Avenue Vancouver Jewish Community Centre

Artistic rendering of the Jewish Community Centre redevelopment at 950 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver. (Acton Ostry Architects)

Although this is not a publicly owned facility of the municipal government, the new community centre is expected to help serve the needs of the growing population within the Cambie Corridor as a result of the area’s immense densification over the coming decades.

Immediately north of the Jewish Community Centre site is TransLink’s former Oakridge bus depot — a 14-acre site set to become a high-density neighbourhood with over 1,600 homes. Earlier in 2022, Grosvenor acquired the controlling stake in the property and the approved redevelopment plans.

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