The New Westminster school district has taken its first step towards building a new middle school in Sapperton.
On Tuesday, the district announced it had purchased a .438-acre single-family lot on Fader Street across from Hume Park Elementary school for $1.75 million.
The land acquisition for a Sapperton-area middle school was one of the priorities on the district’s 2019/20 five-year capital plan and part of its 11- to 20-year long-range facilities plan. The purchase signals the beginning of the district’s work to address projected enrolment growth on the east side of the city.
“We are pleased to be planning for the future now and to ensure we are proactive in meeting the needs of our families and community,” board of education chair Mark Gifford said in a press release.
The City of New Westminster is in the preliminary stages of considering a rezoning application for 97 Braid St. Sapperton Green, as it’s been dubbed, would see the area surrounding Braid SkyTrain station transformed into a mixed-use development that could include 3,700 residential units.
“It’s great to see the New Westminster school board planning ahead to make sure students have the best possible place to go to school,” Education Minister Rob Fleming said in the release. “We are working with school districts throughout B.C. to add new classrooms in fast-growing areas, and forward-thinking investments like this help us take action and improve schools for our students.”
Land acquisitions are funded through the school district’s land capital fund, which is supported by development fees given to the district through the City of New Westminster.
The school district’s new property is located at 522 Fader St.
