New Hope Hamilton

Busy bike co-op hopes to be part of $6.3m centre

February 22, 2010
Dana Brown
The Hamilton Spectator
(Feb 22, 2010)
It started with a bike co-op running on a government grant, $1,000 in donations and more than 80 gifted cycles.

In the end, the hope is for a $6.3-million building renovation that will house a community centre, a church, the co-op, and 46 affordable housing units.

Homestead Christian Care has grand plans for the Main Street East building, which sits at the corner of Crosthwaite Avenue North near Kenilworth Avenue North.

The building used to house the Jam Rock Bar and Grill, a hot spot that prompted many noise complaints.

Homestead bought the building and last year let the co-op, which is associated with New Hope Church, move in rent-free. Later, the church moved in and became a paying tenant.

"This building already is a place where the community gathers and sees the benefit for itself," said Jeff Neven, director of operations with Homestead and a church member.

"So it's not drawing from the neighbourhood, it's giving to the neighbourhood. And I live in the neighbourhood, so I'd only want to see something that adds to my community."

On Wednesday, city council will have the final word on whether the affordable housing units are recommended for funding under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. They are second on the city's list of priorities.

"I think it's just another example of the renaissance we're going through in the east end," Councillor Sam Merulla said about the building project.

Since opening last spring -- with a $3,000 grant to hire a student -- the bike co-op has become self-sustaining through the sale of donated bikes that are refurbished. It started as a pilot project, but was carried on by volunteers after the summer ended.

The average cost of an adult bike is $40. A kid's bike is $10.

People are welcome to bring their own bikes in and volunteers will help them fix it. They also help people who can't afford bikes, including youths, get hooked up with a ride.

"On the one hand, we're searching to provide transportation for people who may not be able to afford it," said Sid Slotegraaf, 21, the co-op co-ordinator.

"On the other hand, we're trying to teach people how to fix their own bikes and kind of build a community around biking. So it's kind of a tangible way that the church can serve the community."

Currently, the co-op has 120 bikes. Slotegraaf said last summer they sold more than 60 bikes and gave away about a dozen.

He said he would like to have four staff members at the shop during the summer -- they are working on a proposal for grants for the positions -- and be able to keep up with the repairs and people coming in. Slotegraaf would also like to see the co-op become more than "barely" self-sustaining.

Neven said if there is funding for affordable housing, work would start this spring on a third floor to the building and be completed by the end of March 2011. If the roughly $1 million needed for the first-floor renovation can be raised, those renovations would be done at the same time, he said.

Neven said they plan to name the community centre the Dr. John M. Perkins Centre, after the American civil rights activist.

The bike co-op is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It's located at 1429 Main Street East.

dbrown@thespec.com

905-526-4629