Alberni Valley Hospice Society staff and supporters got a sneak peek of their new home on 10th Avenue earlier this week.
The society will be moving its offices from Third Avenue to the new space in the 2500-block of 10th Avenue later this year. The 3,300-square-foot building, which used to house a kindergarten, has been undergoing extensive renovations over the past few months with the help of Louis Gagnon Contracting, and project lead Teresa Ludvigson offered tours of the work-in-progress on Tuesday, March 26.
“It looks totally different,” she explained.
READ: Alberni Valley Hospice Society finds new home for offices
The large, “cavernous” building has been transformed into a series of office spaces, which will be a permanent location for the society’s administration, community education, hospice volunteer training, the Reflections program, grief and bereavement counselling and support services, Healing Touch, Reiki and other holistic health services. The new building offers around 1,300-1,400 more square feet than the previous offices on Third Avenue.
The new space will also include new windows, a new heat pump and LED lighting, combined with new, added insulation, to create an updated, energy-efficient modern space.
“We’re bringing in some green aspects,” Ludvigson said.
The Alberni Valley Hospice Society purchased the building in December 2018, which means they will no longer be paying rent and utilities. Ludvigson described it as their “forever home.”
During last Tuesday’s tour, board members, supporters and friends had an opportunity to leave a message behind. In the newly built board room/multi-purpose room, people took turns leaving messages of love and support in permanent marker on the wall’s two-by-four studs.
“The drywall is going up tomorrow,” Ludvigson said on Tuesday after leaving a “thank you” message for the society’s sponsors. “The premise is that this is a time capsule message.”
elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
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