Community Hub Project
@ 2008 Leger Road

December 2022 -  We continue to meet every 2 weeks with the hub advisory and design committee to go over building layout, utilization and vision. The committee is tasked with ensuring the design meets the previously determined needs, which were derived from your feedback during the past 4 years of engagement as seen below. We are starting to see the contours of the design come into view, and have a very solid layout coming together. The committee  will soon have some design sketches and 3D views ready to present to our community. We expect these to be available mid-January. Stay tuned, this will be a big announcement!!

The high-level components of the building are covered below,  but in summary...the final building will be staged in two phases.  Phase 1 (2023) will focus on medium-gathering spaces and community functions, with indoor-outdoor components, storage, food serving area/kitchen, and spaces that support our current activities such as Winter Festival, art and cooking classes, wine & paint nights, movie nights, morning café, and other events you often see around the community. Phase 2 (2025 onward) will focus on the more traditional great-hall that you often see in many communities that would support larger gathering events, weddings, larger celebrations and other catered events. Phase 2 would also be expected to have a larger commercial kitchen space, full size outdoor skate/hockey rink, lighting, a winter sport warming-shelter/change room, outdoor bathroom, and additional washroom/building areas to support a larger hall such as an expanded foyer and parking. There will be opportunities for several mini-phases in between 1 and 2, including the addition of solar and green energy services, and IT, furnishing or finishing upgrades. The phased approach is required due to the recently inflated costs of construction, but will also allow the community some time to grow into the existing space, and allow us an opportunity to demonstrate future need. 

The final components could (will?) change, but at this point Phase 1 is expected to have: 

• a welcoming foyer/entry way. This unspecified space could support ad-hoc socializing, a winter-warming area, small market space, and casual food service events (~600 sqft)

• a community lounge for casual social events and small gatherings. This area is envisioned to have sofas, book shelves, board games, a fireplace and a food serving area for small gatherings (~500 sqft)

• a community club house room with a multi-purpose feel for more structured events such as team gatherings, youth programs, birthdays, classes and meetings (~500 sqft)

• a large outdoor entertainment area, with the plan to have an outdoor kitchen. The vision is to have a gas or wood pizza oven, with barbeque and fire pit. This area would have some weather protection such as rain, and sun shading, with tables to sit at. Vision of this is an outdoor 'café' feel (~1200sqft)

• an indoor kitchen space, suitable for small catered event support, that is accessible to both rooms and the outdoor spaces. (~150sqft)

• two small offices for our community league, and our building partner TRSA (Terwillegar-Riverbend Soccer Association) (~120sqft each)

• various storage and support areas, including a large storage area to support the local soccer program needs (~1500sqft total)

• indoor washrooms, mechanical, and support areas as expected

• accessible parking. One goal of this is to help mitigate existing congestion on Leger Way/Road, and will be tucked down west-ward long Leger Road, away from existing congestion on Leger Way.  Potentially, this could also provide a drop-off area for parents during school times, although that is not finalized.

During our engagement opportunities, we have heard that there are a lot of existing congestion and traffic issues along Leger Way at Leger Road during school pickup/drop off. There are also parking issues along Leger Way, as well as snow-clearing and pedestrian concerns. We are incorporating this into the building design, layout and land use to ensure that the building  location and flow draws parking and traffic away from those areas as much as possible. We have also been actively supporting StreetLabs in our area to help mitigate and trial innovative solutions in advance of any construction to see what works best for our community. 

November 2022 - Oak Hills President, Mike Boychuk, receives the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his work in the community and towards this project! In his keynote address, covering the history & roots of our neighbourhood, Mike shares the journey our community has embarked on, and how we find ourselves on course to build a community hub building in 2023. From our early roots, through initial dreams, all the way into needs assessments, business case and concept, he speaks to why community is vital to our livelihood and happiness. Please note: tragically, Mike passed away in 2023 while mountain biking with friends. His vision and memory will be carried forward by us. We were fortunate to have had Mike along for our journey, leading the Community Hub project for many years. Have a listen to his award presentation, recorded about 1 year prior to his sudden, untimely passing....

October 2022 - We are VERY excited to report that on Oct 25th the Oak Hills Community Hub committee completed its first official design phase meeting with TR Shaw Project Management, Stanley Construction, Croy Architecture, TRSA and of course OHCL. The meeting was held at the new Knottwood Community Hall, with each future meeting to be held at a new hall/location for inspiration/ideas. Now that the design phase is in full swing, we will be meeting every 2 weeks for the next 2-3 months. The next Hub meeting is at Chappelle Gardens Social House on Nov 8th. Future meetings are being considered at the new Ridge Community Hall, Whitemud Creek, and Laurier Heights. If you know of an inspirational space for a meeting, let us know so we can check it out! 

The commitment for this project, which is Phase 1 of the overall final Hub plan, is to be shovels-in-the-ground spring 2023 with a target Phase 1 completion of Dec 30, 2023. This is ambitious, but the team is working to keep this on track and on budget ($1.54M for Phase 1 construction). Phase 1 requirements are: 1000 sqft storage (TRSA), TRSA & OHCL offices (3), General Storage space, Large gathering kitchen, mechanical, janitor and electrical rooms, Lounge, Club House, Community Garden, Interior Water Closets, Exterior accessible water closet, Lit snow mound rink, Toboggan Hill Space, Outdoor Patio/BBQ area.

Early 2022 - we have engaged a project management firm, have a stable funding model, and also have drafted an operational budget/business case to ensure the long-term success of the final product. We anticipate a shovels-in-ground date of early 2023. 

This year we will be reaching out once again to get focused and specific detailed design information from YOU! Sign up for our newsletter to keep in the loop, get involved by joining the community hub committee, or attend our AGMs and monthly board meetings for more information. 

Do you know what else is planned for the area near you, and how our community hub fits in to the larger community around us? Check out the concept map for the Bryan Anderson Athletic Grounds area. 

• Future Oak Hills Community Hub (red)

• Future Edmonton Public Library (blue)

• Future Artificial Turf Facility/Multi-sport  & Track (green)

• Future K-8 public school (yellow)