A long awaited project is finally coming to fruition after Kimberley City Council approved a development permit for 600-630 Church Ave at a regular meeting on Monday.
For approximately 14 years the Kimberley Seniors Project Society has been hoping to build rental units on their Church Ave property. The KSPS is now working with New Dawn Construction to make that dream a reality, with the building of a 12-unit rental housing complex that will see three separate buildings, each with four-unit multi-family dwellings that will be managed by KSPS as rental housing.
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According to a report to Council from City Planner Christopher Jones, the property was originally the location of Pioneer Lodge, a series of apartment complexes built during the 1960s which eventually fell into disrepair and demolished in 2017 after they were found to possess hazardous building materials and were unable to meet modern building codes.
On March 13, 2017, Council adopted a resolution to allocate funds from both operating and affordable housing reserve funds to offset the application and utility connection fees for the project.
The current development plan proposes to provide six two-bedroom units and six three-bedroom units with 18 uncovered stalls located within the existing Church Ave. layout.
New Dawn has hired a full team of professional engineers to assist in the design of the site and buildings, who will be retained through to the completion of the project.
“The buildings are low profile to be in keeping with the surrounding neighbourhood,” wrote Chad Jensen, President of New Dawn Construction. “Each building will have a different colour to break up the buildings and create a better streetscape. Asphalt parking will be separated from the street by a landscaped boulevard.”
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He adds that the project will be part of the City’s energy efficiency rebate program, which will assist in the overall budget of the project.
“We feel that these rental units will provide a very needed inventory to the City,” said Jensen.
With approval of the development and building permits, New Dawn is ready to commence construction as soon as possible, with an anticipated completion date of Nov. 1, 2019.
corey.bullock@kimberleybulletin.com
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