Town moves in BRC, to open offices Monday

of It Paradise’s was Moving Building Day for the Department. town

On Friday morning workers were all over the soon to be Building Resiliency Center (BRC) putting the last minute touches on the new office on Skyway that was once the Bank of America.

While town officials were making the move Town Hall was closed on Friday.

The BRC will be a one-stop shop for residents want to or are thinking about rebuilding in the town. The Town says its hopes to provide residents a better experience.

There is more space, seating areas and more permit technicians to help speed up the process.

“At Town Hall, our residents are crowded in a freezing hallway, it’s not a conditioned space,” Town Manager Lauren Gill said. “They’re huddled in this little space and they’re freezing.”

From there she noted that then have to go through the bureau- cratic process that’s not much fun.

Now they will have a better environment that will begin with a greeter of sorts that will help start their process. That will be Kyla Awalt who will be able to give res- idents and information and better direct them to where they need to go. It won’t just be the Town’s Build- ing Department housed in the new place, Butte County will also staff a satellite building office in the

BRC to assist those rebuilding in the unincorporated areas of the County.

The expanded space is will help the town better deal with the volume of permits. Prior to the fire, the town has about 10 permits a year. They’ve issued more than 700 since the fire.

“I think we’re going to experience kind of like you’ve seen, a BoomTown, “Gill said. “You’ve seen it Reno, North Dakota, Atlanta — where for whatever reason people decide to come here and decide this is a cool place to live — and all of sudden the whole world kind of jumps on board.”

Rebuild Advocates will also be on hand to help guide people through the rebuilding process. They can also help guide residents through the financial resources available to make rebuilding more affordable. PG&E and the Butte County Fire Safe Council will also have representatives available to meet with residents and answer questions. More resources will be available over the next several months.

PHOTOS BY RICK SILVA— PARADISE POST Kyla Awalt (left) and Laura Page (right) bring up flags that were left from the Nov. 8 celebration.

Bags of plants that will planted at the BRC sit the lobby on Friday morning. The Building Resiliency Center (BRC) will open to the public on Monday.

CAMILLE VON KAENEL — CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD Lauren Gill stands next to the Phoenix on Friday morning as the Building Resiliency Center (BRC), which opens Monday was being moved into.