Last month, when Evergreen Line construction crews started digging up the front parking lot of Coquitlam's Evergreen Cultural Centre, staff at the arts facility were a little taken back.
"I mean, we knew it was going to happen but on the first day, we thought, 'Wow, this is really happening! Things are going to be different around here,'" said Jon-Paul Walden, ECC's executive director, while surveying the equipment last week.
Indeed, almost half of the ECC parking lot along Pinetree Way has been fenced off for road and utility works on the rapid-transit terminus, called the Lafarge Lake-Douglas - a station that, when built, will stretch from Guildford Way to Town Centre Boulevard.
ECC's south entrance to the rehearsal hall was closed off while a new access to the back was made for westbound commuters. And soon its digital reader board at the corner of Pinetree and Guildford ways will be relocated.
It's only just the beginning.
Over the next 2.5 years, from Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., construction will be intense, especially as the pile driving begins down Pinetree Way for the guideways and stations.
Luckily, Walden and his staff have been kept in the loop by the city, builders EGRT Construction and TransLink about what will happen each month.
And they, too, have been trying to co-ordinate their schedules and programs to ensure ECC users and patrons are also in the know and aren't impacted too much by the construction.
"We'll be getting the word out through our website and extra signs," Walden said, adding, "Obviously, safety is our number one concern. We expect this to be happening for a long time and we are asking patrons for their patience, to come earlier to their shows and events, especially during rainy days or at night."
Walden stressed pedestrians who used to cut across Pinetree Way to get to ECC will have to take the signalized crosswalk at Pinetree and Guildford ways. "Everyone needs to be more vigilant when heavy machinery is so active and close by," he said.
With operations slower during July and August, traffic to ECC isn't what it normally is; however, last month, staff got an idea how patrons navigated the reconfigured parking lot when the facility hosted two Music on the Grill concerts. "There were no disruptions," Walden said, with a shrug. "Everyone made do."
As for next season, which ramps up in September, Walden said ECC is offering a theatre series that includes:
Boeing-Boeing (Arts Club Theatre on Tour) in October;
Deck (Pilot.co.Pilot Theatre) in November;
A Christmas Carol (Motus O dance theatre) in December;
Driving Miss Daisy (Arts Club Theatre on Tour) in January;
Chelsea Hotel (Arts Club Theatre on Tour) in March;
The Snides of March (Double Exposure) in March;
and Holmes and Watson Save the Empire (Ace Productions) in April.
As well, several arts groups rent ECC facilities throughout the year for classes, workshops and performances - among them, Place des Arts, Stage 43, Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Coastal Sound Music Academy, Coquitlam Youth Orchestra and Douglas College.
Opened in 1996, ECC is owned by the city and operated by a society. It includes a 257-seat black box theatre, a rehearsal hall, three art studios and a 1,500-sq. ft. art gallery.
Walden said his goal is to see ECC become a destination arts hub for the Tri-Cities - one that will include a 550-seat playhouse, a proposal that's been on the books for years.
"We continue to see the Evergreen Line as a great thing that will bring more people to this area," he said. "It will be a dynamic system and we are extremely excited this is here... But these are early days for us [for the work] and we want to ensure the public knows we are open for business. This construction will not slow us down."
For more information about the Evergreen Line project, visit evergreenline.gov.bc.ca or, for traffic updates, call 604-927-2080 or email [email protected].
