New Housing & Facilities at CFB Esquimalt

0:00It's April 5th. Welcome to Vancouver News today, powered by AI. Construction kicked off last month at CFB Eskommault with the removal of six mature trees around a decommissioned soccer field. Rear Admiral David Pachel confirmed this week that work on the 400-unit North-Nade and Temporary Commodation starts this year. These hotel-style units with private bathrooms will house junior non-commissioned members in training. Meanwhile, they're replacing the aging 480-unit Nell's block from the 1950s, a key structure on base set for demolition in. The next decade, the new permanent facility, costing $165 million, breaks ground in August or September. Planners have been at it for years, with federal impact assessments starting in September 2023. Tree removal wrapped up by March 3rd to be bird nesting season, and base policy calls for planting two replacement trees per one cut down. A new parking lot and driveway are part of the tempside plans, too.

1:00Pachel noted they'd have started sooner if possible. On the housing front, the base gets over 400 units from the Canadian Forces Housing Agency's Big Expansion. The first 12 Plex construction begins this month, aiming for completion in March 2027. It's all part of a five-year push for 244 denser units on existing housing lands. This lines up with broader efforts to fix military housing shortages at Esquimalt. Getting troops into better digs, faster as projects ramp up across. The board.