Love it or hate it, the Shuswap Healing Centre in Sicamous is moving forward this spring.
At the Jan. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting, District of Sicamous administrator Kelly Bennett provided council an update on the construction timeline for the medical facility at 200 Main Street, a location that has garnered some public opposition. Despite those objections, construction of the building shell is anticipated to start the week of March 11, weather dependent, with completion of the exterior and site work expected by the end of August.
A groundbreaking ceremony is being planned for the first week of March, but a firm date is yet to be determined.
Bennett added the interior design is being worked on, but not yet complete due to some last-minute additions.
“They’re a little fluid because we’ve had some interest from some other individuals that want to be part of the health centre,” she explained. “Which is fabulous… that’s what we want.”
The final costing will come back to council following those “tweaks” to accommodate the additional services. Once that’s all approved, interior work has a tentative start date in July, with completion expected in April or May 2025, followed by occupancy that summer.
“I think it’s a relatively reasonable timeline that people can deliver on,” Bennett added.
In response to Coun. Ian Baillie’s parking concerns around the interior work and official opening both taking place in the busy summer months, which are a key time for local businesses, he was assured the builder will be providing as much parking on site as possible.
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