Downtown Chilliwack is the commercial and historic core of the city and is located on the north side of the Trans Canada Highway, just minutes from Chilliwack’s main freeway entrance.
The downtown core centers around Main Street, Yale Road East and Young Road. The historic Five Corners is in the heart of downtown where Yale Road and Young Road intersect with Wellington Avenue.
Like most downtown areas, downtown Chilliwack has a high concentration of retail and service operations. There are more than 300 diverse businesses in downtown Chilliwack, including financial institutions, restaurants, convenience stores, hotels, pharmacies, medical facilities, family entertainment and many other services. Most of these businesses are locally owned and contribute to downtown Chilliwack’s unique shopping experience.
For over a decade, residents, business owners and City committees have been working together to define the vision for Chilliwack’s downtown. Following recommendations from the City’s Downtown Core Task Force, the City of Chilliwack and the Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation (CEPCO) assembled properties in the site bounded by Young Road, Yale Road, Princess Avenue and Empress Lane. Now, after many years of work, Chilliwack City Council has awarded the contract for the redevelopment of the 3.75 acre downtown site to Algra Bros. Developments Ltd.
The new and innovative redevelopment by Algra Bros. aims to transform the downtown into a healthy, sustainable and thriving community and will set a benchmark for all subsequent development downtown. The redevelopment site will see a combination of retail, commercial, residential and mixed-used developments as part of the multi-year, multi-phase project that will provide a balance of jobs, amenities and housing to create a diverse and inclusive downtown core. #chilliwackisback.
A seven-unit commercial development that features a Starbucks drive-through, KFC, People’s Pharmacy, a medical clinic and other commercial and professional businesses.
In 2014, Mill Street underwent a major transformation featuring new street trees and hanging baskets, stamped/coloured concrete, improved lighting, wider sidewalks, and one way traffic to accommodate additional on-street parking.
The Mad Butcher – owned by Fraser Valley Meats, and Produce Gone Wild – owned by Hofstede’s Country Barn, both opened in the spring of 2015 on Alexander Avenue. Later the same year, BeNanna Bakery opened its doors making this complex a one-stop grocery shopping destination.
The Chilliwack Cultural Centre, built in 2009 and valued at $22M, is comprised of an art gallery, 500+ seat performance theatre, 250 seat studio, music rooms, instruction rooms, arts and crafts studios and related amenities.
The former JC Audiotronic location at Yale Road and Fletcher Street is now home to Domino’s Pizza, Scarecrow Ink, and Go Audio.
In 2011, Main Street Church (formerly Promontory Church) purchased the downtown building (housing Liquidation World) on the corner of Main Street and Princess Avenue. The church occupied part of the space while the store remained as a tenant. In 2014, the church took over 10,000 sq.ft. of former retail space and now occupies the entire building.
Located next to Freshco, Envision Credit Union, and The Mad Butcher, Midtown Square is a 7,875 sq.ft. commercial complex in downtown Chilliwack. Current tenants include Supplement King, The Chilliwack Progress, and Mainland Insurance.
The Chilliwack Downtown Design Guidelines have been developed to implement the Official Community Plan, adopted in 2014, and the Downtown Land Use and Development Plan, adopted in 2009. The Downtown Land Use and Development Plan articulates a clear vision for Downtown Chilliwack to be an attractive, vibrant, and safe neighbourhood. Through the implementation of the Downtown Design Guidelines, the City of Chilliwack is committed to ensuring that development enhances the character and quality of the downtown and creates a pedestrian environment that is memorable and engaging for residents and visitors alike.
The Chilliwack Downtown Design Guidelines highlight and recognize the unique character of the downtown core and encourage the restoration and enhancement of buildings of heritage value by property owners as a means of celebrating Chilliwack’s unique and significant cultural heritage, while providing direction for new development.
Overall, the guidelines recognize that the unique character of the downtown can be creatively enhanced without the need for replication of historical styles and techniques. New development is encouraged to utilize the form, proportion, pattern, and detailing of architectural features to form a cohesive design fabric with existing development.
CEPCO acknowledges S’ólh Téméxw, the unceded traditional lands of the Stó:lō, the People of the River, where we live and work.
