White Rock cancels plan to relocate City Hall to town centre
The City of White Rock has selected the current City Hall property on Buena Vista Avenue — part of the “Civic Block” — as the preferred location for its future Community Hub, following months of public consultation that showed this was overwhelmingly the option supported by the community.
Earlier this week, White Rock City Council unanimously endorsed a member motion from Mayor Megan Knight directing City staff to concentrate planning efforts on the existing Civic Block site.
This past winter, the municipal government announced a proposed concept of constructing a new 12-storey, mixed-use building at the surface vehicle parking lot of 1510 Johnston Rd. — located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Russell Avenue and Johnston Road in White Rock Town Centre, about three city blocks north from the existing City Hall site.
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The vertically stacked facility at this new location would have a 35,000 sq. ft. new replacement and expanded City Hall — including new municipal administrative offices and a new City Council chamber theatre — as well as a new replacement 5,000 sq. ft. public library, a 3,500 sq. ft. childcare facility, and other community spaces and services for youth and seniors. There was also a possible contemplation of pursuing a taller tower beyond 12 storeys to incorporate a wider mix of uses, specifically significant housing on top of the City Hall and Community Hub floors.
Proposed surface vehicle parking lot redevelopment of 1510 Johnston Rd. into the new White Rock City Hall. (City of White Rock)
Proposed surface vehicle parking lot redevelopment of 1510 Johnston Rd. into the new White Rock City Hall. (City of White Rock)
Existing location of White Rock City Hall at 15322 Buena Vista Ave. (bottom) and the proposed new location at 1510 Johnston St. (top), with the walking distance between sites shown. (Google Maps)
But during the public consultation, residents raised concerns over the project’s potential cost, financing, and risk, and the possibility of such building heights affecting views for adjacent residents and impacting the character and scale of the neighbourhood.
There were also strong interests over expanded and co-located municipal services and community amenities, as well as significant high-quality green space — something that is more challenging to achieve on the small parking lot site in the town centre.
A survey conducted by the City showed nearly 83 per cent of respondents preferred building a new City Hall and Community Hub at its current location of 15322 Buena Vista Ave. The existing Civic Block site is also home to separate buildings containing the White Rock RCMP headquarters, White Rock Fire Department, White Rock Library, and Evergreen Childcare Centre.
Existing White Rock City Hall at 15322 Buena Vista Ave. (Google Maps)
City Council chamber at the existing White Rock City Hall at 15322 Buena Vista Ave. (City of White Rock)
According to City staff, the existing three-storey City Hall building, constructed in 1959 on Buena Vista Avenue, has exceeded its lifespan and can no longer meet the municipality’s growing needs. The adjacent one-storey City Hall Annex, built in 1984, faces similar challenges.
“We’ve heard from the community, and their feedback has been instrumental in shaping this decision,” said Mayor Knight in a statement.
“Endorsing the City Hall site allows us to take the next step in building a space that will truly serve the people of White Rock.”
City Council has now asked City staff to move forward with detailed work on cost estimates, funding options, site layout, tradeoffs, and other critical planning elements for reimagining and expanding at the existing location.