Bubby Rose’s Bakery opened back in 2002 and its owner says it took everything he had, including his life savings, to make his dream come true.
Now, he’s worried a new construction project is going to destroy that dream.
“My wife’s RSP went into this, my RSP went into this,” says Darioush Diba, the owner of Bubby Rose’s.
The project will build 50 new affordable housing units, aiming to be completed in early 2022.
“Whoever bought this land never consulted us, never thought about how many employees we have or the impact. We have 37 full-time employees and five part-time employees, and they’re panicking,” added Darioush.
However, it’s not the project itself that’s raising concerns for this small business, it’s about the space.
The parking lot located at the back of the building will soon be taken over by bulldozers, aerial lifts and excavators.
This space, however, is crucial when it comes to the team at Bubby Rose’s getting their baked goods packaged and delivered to their various locations around town.
“It’s a slap in the face to all the staff, we’re all for this it has to happen somewhere, we’ll make it work,” says Andrew Diba, a Bubby Rose’s store manager.
The Diba family saying there’s been no consultation and nobody has gotten back to them with their concerns.
However, BC Housing told CHEK News they are looking at design options that would provide more access, and will be reaching out to all impacted businesses in the next few weeks.
Hannah Lepine
