Occupancy for Riddell Gardens rental townhouses likely in July

Site of former Woodstock grocery store to feature 56 (stackable; 28 x 2) units
Construction site is busy as long-term project becomes a reality

(Note: Since this blog was written, many amenities, including possible rental rates, have changed or at least have been formalized as there is now occupancy of these rental units. Contact Barb Losee at the Riddell Street site today for more details) 

By Mark Schadenberg

This past autumn as the leaves were falling and pumpkins were carved, I raked together most of the local residential projects into one large pile, posting an update blog to a new condo project on Munnoch (not under construction yet), along with expanding construction subdivisions, and two different housing plans for Riddell Street.

The link for that entry can be discovered below.

Rembrandt Homes of London currently has a large ranch, which appears to have a second floor loft, under construction across the road from the old hospital. They are billing this as 273 Riddell Street or Rembrandt Estates. The price tags begin around $460,000. See: www.rembrandt-homes.ca

The actual old hospital property across the street is (apparently) still available but has been cleared for its next owner for low or medium density residential.

NELLWOOD

My today update today, however, is the former Beckett Farm Market lands at the corner of Riddell and Melbourne streets (225 Riddell).

Woodstock's Ray Losee (Nellwood Construction; 536-9861) has been the developer on this vacant property for about five years and the original plan was for high density – or a multi-storey apartment building, which would have likely been earmarked as condominium apartments in a 10-storey 130-unit (or more) structure.

With a similar apartment building closeby on Admiral Street (Northgate Towers), it would seem that city council would approve the idea.

However, due to an obvious shadow effect with the homes on Melbourne, the Riddell Street plans went back to the 'drawing board' and eventually 56 2-bedroom bungalow-style (stackable) row townhouse units (with 90 parking spots approved) passed the grade and are now currently under construction on the 2.27 acres parcel. The layouts are similar to other one-floor plan stacked townhouses which include one unit essentially on top of the other, or a main-floor apartment with a lower-level apartment below. When completed, the complex will include street access to Riddell, Melbourne and Graham streets. The largest square footage is about 940 and the market rent will be approximately $1,100 monthly.

There is a reserve list already compiled, so if you have interest in being a tenant contact them today at 1-888-330-3866.

For further details on investing in the project (purchasing a unit), contact ProFunds at www.profunds.ca as units are for sale to investors. It is safe to assume that if you buy a unit, you may also reside in it.

Riddell Gardens is the creation of Nellwood Construction, and all units will apparently be focused solely for the rental market, but ownership is described on the ProFunds website. Interested parties can contact their management team at 1-888-330-3866 for more details on occupancy timetables.

By looking at the construction site and after talking to Carmen on the phone today from ProFunds, it would be estimated occupancy for mid-July.

If you are thinking about possibly re-locating there, give me a call today and I will add a few more details.

QUEEN'S PARK

I love to refer to the Provincial Policy Statement about urbanization as often as possible in this space as it truly deflects concerns of a city or county council to future urban growth of any type as the provincial folks are insisting on 'intensification', which means crowding as much residential into a small space as possible. The density calculators change when comparing villages (with services) to towns to medium cities to metro high risers in locations such as London.

Ray Losee is a very well established Woodstock-based construction firm as they built the townhouse complex at Anderson and Canrobert, and most of the homes on Hunter's Gate near Mill and Athlone, plus other subdivisions. 

Obviously many different trades will be on-site at Riddell from Blue-Con Construction out of London to Woodstock's Glenile Services, to concrete, plumbers, brick layers, vinyl siding installers, carpenters and drywall experts.

I think this Riddell Gardens neighbourhood and the various possibilities at the former hospital site are equally terrific as both these properties are on the top of the re-development list for Woodstock.

Over-head photo from a previous County Council agenda

LINKS:

http://markroyallepage.blogspot.com/2014/10/riddell-rembrandt-broos-hargreaves.html?spref=tw

http://markroyallepage.blogspot.ca/2012/10/important-zoning-change-approved-by.html

http://www.oxfordcounty.ca/portals/15/Documents/News%20Room/1063_0_Oct_10_2012_Agenda_version01.pdf

www.profunds.ca

www.glenile.com

OTHER LINKS:

Update

www.rembrandt-homes.ca

Rembrandt website:

Woodstock is my home; real estate is my career

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)

Royal LePage Triland Realty

757 Dundas St, Woodstock

www.wesellwoodstock.com

(519) 537-1553, cell or text

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Twitter: markroyallepage

Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination