The Shops at New West took top honours in this year’s Royal City Builders Awards.
The awards, which were handed out Oct. 2 at a gala dinner at the Inn at the Quay, honour outstanding projects completed in 2012. The awards are presented by the City of New Westminster and the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce.
The Shops at New West took the overall Royal City Builder’s Award for Building of the Year. The building, located at 811 Columbia St., also took the Modern Commercial award.
The modern awards categories acknowledge architects, designers and builders of high-quality residential, commercial and institutional development in the city.
Several awards were handed out in the modern development categories including: Commercial Renovation - Head to Toe Spa (337 Sixth St.); Modern Residential – The Shift (709 12th St.); Modern Commercial – the Shops at New West (811 Columbia St.); and Modern Institutional – the Fraser North Kidney Care Clinic and Community Dialysis Unit (in Royal City Centre).
The Royal City Builders Awards also recognize efforts to preserve New Westminster's heritage through restoration and renovation of existing homes, as well as new construction. This year’s heritage winners are: Exterior Heritage Renovation – a tie between 101 Agnes St. and 123 Seventh Ave.; Exterior Heritage Restoration (The Heritage Shield) – 127 Queens Ave.; and New Home Construction that Respects New Westminster Heritage – 239 Osborne St.
Since 2002, the City of New Westminster and the chamber of commerce have also acknowledged business and institutions that have contributed uniquely and significantly to improve access for all New Westminster residents and visitors, through the Universal Access Awards. Winners in the Universal Access categories are: Business – Taverna Greka (326 Columbia St.) and Facility – Fraser North Kidney Care Clinic and Community Dialysis Unit (217 - 610 Sixth Street).
The Sustainability Award acknowledges cleaner and healthier communities by recognizing developments that incorporate various sustainability features and initiatives into their projects. Landmark Cinemas took top honours in this category for its space at #390-800 Carnarvon St.
In addition to the judge’s choices, community members also got to have their says through the People’s Choice Awards. These are the community’s choices for this year’s winners:
* Exterior Heritage Restoration (Heritage Shield) and Renovation – 213 Fifth Ave.
* New Home that Respects New Westminster Heritage – 239 Osborne St.
* Modern Residential – Moody Park Homes (423 Eighth St).
* Modern Commercial – Noort Homes Building Façade Renovations (403 Sixth St.)
* Modern Institutional – Fraser North Kidney Care Clinic and Community Dialysis Unit.
More than 100 people attended the gala dinner, where keynote speaker Robert Fung spoke about the transformation of New Westminster’s historic Downtown.
