120-unit affordable housing project on former school site moves ahead

An affordable housing build on a long-vacant former school site in east London likely will get underway this year, after city councilors endorsed two mid-rise apartment buildings.

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All five councilors on London city council’s planning and environment committee unanimously endorsed two, five-storey apartment buildings with 120 units at 1958 Duluth Cres., the site of the form St. Robert’s elementary school that closed in 2018.

“There’s definitely an excitement to see something happen there,” deputy mayor Shawn Lewis, the ward councilor and vice-chair of the committee, told reporters after the meeting Tuesday.

“I think residents are becoming accustomed to the idea that neighborhoods are going to infill. Things are changing, and not everything is going to stay the same.”

The project is being led by the city’s housing development corporation in partnership with Wastell Developments Inc. The plan includes 20 more units than first proposed when a deal was inked with Wastell, and that’s due to the retooling of the buildings to be five stores instead of four, and one of the buildings being redesigned to provide a bigger buffer with surrounding single family homes.

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The units will be rented at 80 per cent of market rate, and one of the buildings will be dedicated fully to seniors apartments.

“We have a lot of seniors in the Argyle area who are looking to downsize from their single family homes,” Lewis said. “This opens up an opportunity for them to do that, get those homes on the market for new families to buy, and yet allow them to stay in the neighborhood.”

The buildings and the larger planned subdivision on the lot are part of the city’s goal of building 3,000 affordable units, which leverages city-owned land and offers grants to guarantee affordable housing.

The city offers $45,000 for each affordable unit, and the city has spent $1.8 million preparing the school lot, including demolishing the building. The province is providing more than $2.3 million for the build as well.

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“This ticks a lot of boxes regarding affordable housing, infill. . . (it’s a) good news story,” committee chair Steve Lehman said.

Housing would be accessed from Duluth Crescent that will be extended to Admiral Drive in early 2025.

One heritage home to be preserved on historic south London farm

Members of the planning committee endorsed the demolition of eight of nine buildings on a south London farm, with hints that a new industrial subdivision could rise in its place.

The application was for demolition of nine buildings on the site known as the Croslea farm. A heritage impact assessment done on the property found one building worth preserving for its heritage qualities, a 2 1/2-storey Queen Anne revival farmhouse.

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“I think keeping one (building) was a good way to come at this,” Lehman said of the proposal. “The history was fascinating to read. . . we don’t know the gems in our city until we have this type of application before us.”

The owner of the 44-hectare (108-acre) farm at 1361 Wilton Grove Rd. doesn’t yet have a site plan application filed with the city, but city staff believe the intention is to divide the large site into 16 blocks for business and industry, a city staff report says.

Several members of the public spoke in support of maintaining the one building, including one resident who suggested reworking the farmhouse into office space for future tenants.

Ward Coun. Steven Hillier, a member of the planning committee, told reporters after the meeting he was happy about the balance politicians struck.

“It’s a difficult balancing act, every time trying to find a balance between our heritage and our future, and I feel this is a very good compromise. It’ll be really nice when it’s finished,” he said.

Both proposals will require the support of city council at its next regular meeting on Jan. 21.

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