Members of the Chinese Alliance Church say they need more space.
The purchase of two lots adjacent to the Chinese Alliance Church for expansion is raising concern about the viability of the living space in the Dalhousie neighbourhood, though some church-goers see it as a move needed to better serve the community.
The church is creating a building plan for the 35-year-old, 22 Eccles St. location, following the purchase of two nearby 511- square-metre. lots.
According to church officials, a preliminary expansion plan would include a multi-purpose hall inside the building with classrooms, offices and parking space on the ground level.
“In order to continue to support the community, we need more space,” chair of the church board Gerald Chan says.
Church officials say they do not have enough space, having to swap classrooms, offices and parking spaces at different times throughout the day with organizations including CUSO, Somerset West Community Health Centre and Alcoholic Anonymous.They also juggle resources to host regular tax clinics and polling stations for Elections Canada.
Ida Lai, owner of the Lisgar Cafe, regularly attends the church, and describes the need for expansion as urgent.
“The church means a lot to us, especially for those new immigrants who rely on the neighbourhood church to turn their life around,” Lai says.
But some community members don’t welcome the expansion.
Ida Henderson, a Dalhousie resident for 25 years, says she is not in favour of destroying residential properties.
“Eroding of housing is a continual problem within the Centretown area,” she says. “It’s important to maintain viable living space in the neighbourhood.”
Though Chan argues that the building project will have little impact on the neighbourhood, Eric Darwin, president of the Dalhousie Community Association, says he still has concerns that over time the demolition of residential buildings will erode the dynamics of the neighbourhood.
“You can’t have a neighbourhood with a viable main street if you keep moving housing behind parking lots and church halls,” Darwin says.
“It’s not our mandate,” Chan says. “We’re here to praise God, we don’t build buildings.” He adds that as part of the community, the church does see the need for housing in the neighbourhood, particularly among the senior population who want to live on the street and attend the church nearby.
“There is a possibility that we could provide manpower and resources to help the city build low-cost houses,” Chan says. “But the two buildings come first.”
Chan says the church is open to changing the plan to meet the demands of the community.
Once finalized, the plan will go before city hall for approval.