UPDATE. Residents can now stay until 2020, says this report:
http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/5766107-markham-seniors-get-reprieve-from-eviction/
PREVIOUS STORY
By Mark Schadenberg
http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/5766107-markham-seniors-get-reprieve-from-eviction/
PREVIOUS STORY
By Mark Schadenberg
Could
you imagine being a tenant in a seniors (over 60) complex and finding
out that your 'home' will be torn down and replaced with a high-rise
building?
This
exact scenario happened in the Markham / Unionville area in York
Region of Toronto.
Heritage
Village (Union Home Society or UHS) is a tight-knit neighbourhood of
seniors who have received 18 months notice to find a new place to
live.
The
links to published stories are below, but the main item I take issue
with is that the residents were invited to a community tea on July 1
and then they were told the news. Instead of celebrating
Canada's birthday with cake and refreshments, the residents were told
it was time to relocate.
A
private developer named Minto had secured the land from York Region to
build a multi-storey gear-to-seniors apartment building, but the
issue remains that the new building would accept the UHS residents,
but not until the year 2020.
“We
have 18 months until they are going to bulldoze the place,” said
Judi Langille, a resident of Heritage Village, in a story published
at www.yorkregion.com.
The writing continues by noting Langille had only moved in earlier
this year after being on a waiting list for five years.
Currently
the complex has 92 units, which according to one story are
geared-to-income or below market rent tenants.
“There
is no good time to announce news of this nature,” Debra Cooper
Burger (CEO of UHS) was quoted in an email response to press. “This
(July 1) was, however, the earliest time that we could arrange the
meeting. We wanted to ensure that our tenants learned of the intended
changes from us directly and to give as much notice of the change as
possible.”
Apparently,
the units were in need of many updates, noted Cooper Burger, adding
this para-phrased comment: Although they have done a good job
maintaining the 38-year-old units, she said after a recent building
condition assessment it was estimated it would cost about $3.5
million in capital reinvestment during the next five years to replace
things like windows, roofs, heating systems and other older
infrastructure.
The new
multi-storey building will have the capacity to more-than double the number of
tenants.
The
current wait list for Heritage Village apparently has 300 names.
I'm not
sure if this is progress or not as many similar stories have been
seen in the GTA where provincially-mandated 'intensification' is the
rule of the day – more people living per square foot of geography.
LONDON
Project
If a
'Heritage' building is not maintained, but still resides on a
municipal list of significance due to its history and architecture,
does this present a dilemma to a developer and a city council?
You
better believe it does.
In
London, at the council horseshoe, there is discussion surrounding
three structures on Talbot Street, which would place this location
just a few blocks north of Budweiser Gardens, which rebuilt (new) its
original facade of a renown hotel at that locale.
TriCar,
which has built both Renaissance towers directly north of the Bud
rink and many other condo and apartment highrises in London and
elsewhere (including Woodstock), has plans for a 30-storey building
at Talbot and Dufferin.
The Free
Press link for this municipal debate in the Forest City is noted
below.
The
Carapella family (Tri-Car) has been in the multi-residential
construction business for almost 30 years and their projects span
outside of London, including the luxury Finkle Street apartments
(Juliana Place; 519-539-3029) in Woodstock. According to their
website, their resume includes over 5,000 units and almost 50
buildings.
Keep in
mind, any builder / developer must always jump through a series of
hoops to gain approval for any project – whether it be a
subdivision or a 30-storey structure with underground parking.
The
proposed high rise would include 224 condominium apartments (Prices
could begin around $250,000 and up to $1 million for top-floor
penthouse said one published report.), and according to a previous
Free press story would be London's second highest building – just a
few metres shorter than One London Place.
The
public-participation process includes (and not limited to) public
meetings, site plan approvals, demolition permits, environmental
studies, city council meetings, engineering approvals, zoning changes
to high density residential, likely needing thumbs up from the Upper
Thames River conservation authority, and then of course at the end of
the road is a mandatory appeal period.
However,
when finished and depending on the angle of the building's
construction, the residents with west, south and north exposure could
have a terrific view of the forks of the Thames River, Labatt
Memorial Park (baseball) and of course Harris Park.
Just
another topic of 'coffee shop' conversation for neighbourhood
residents, Realtors and those employed in the construction sector.
LINKS:
LONDON
http://www.lfpress.com/2015/07/17/tricar-tower-plans-for-downtown-sparks-heritage-debate
http://www.lfpress.com/2015/05/24/demand-stretching-towers-to-new-heights----and-lows
http://www.lfpress.com/2015/05/24/demand-stretching-towers-to-new-heights----and-lows
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
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