TILLSONBURG – The crew at Stubbe’s Precast is breaking the mold.
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Alongside officials with the Town of Tillsonburg and Oxford County, the thriving Harley-based business that features precast, concrete, and building development services raised the first pre-cut panel of an eight-storey, 132-unit apartment complex at 14 Harvest Ave. on Nov. 28.
The first of four buildings planned for the site will include 29 affordable units, and thanks to Stubbe’s “FastTrack” process, will likely be completed within a year.
“We sat down and looked at the most efficient pre-cast building,” said Jason Stubbe, managing director of Stubbe’s.
“Because we’re a pre-caster, we get to work in the manufacturing world and also the construction world. The manufacturing world is all about repeatability and standardization – the more we can do the same thing, the better our productivity gets.”
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Stubbe said the building will include identical kitchens, window and floor sizes, and the same mechanical, electrical, and plumbing features, allowing for an expedient building process that still holds up to government safety standards.
The first FastTrack building went up in Niagara Falls earlier this year, construction began in March and residents will be living in its 50 units by next month. When approached to build a structure, Stubbe’s can deliver drawings 70 percent complete within days as opposed to months.
“We believe that this will change the way construction is done in Ontario,” he added.
“Tillsonburg is just like everywhere else in Ontario, there’s a massive housing shortage. The only way to solve that is build, build, build.”
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In March 2024, Tillsonburg council approved and updated the town’s Community Improvement Plan. It included support for multi-residential developments.
“The town has been listening (to residents) and now helping to respond by providing more affordable units,” said Mayor Deb Gilvesy
.
“The outdoor amenities space is truly beyond anything we’ve seen in Tillsonburg and we’re eager to view it upon its completion.”
They include pickleball and basketball courts, a community garden, BBQ space, EV charging stations and more.
The facility will also include a dog washing station, bike storage, and fitness center.
“What I find exciting about Tillsonburg after all the years I’ve been here is how much the committees work together with council and the business community to make things happen,” said Cephas Panschow
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,
development commissioner at the Town of Tillsonburg.
“Traditional economic development would be about industrial attractions like building an industrial park and we do that, but this is more than just economic development, this is community development.”
Panschow pointed out that the building’s location – close to the town’s industrial area but also downtown – is an ideal space for workers and their families to reside.
“In the long run, we’re going to get more taxes, we’re going to be healthier as a community, and the community overall will be better,” he said.
Stubbe said the units were designed with young families and seniors in mind.
“We believe families are the backbone of society,” he said.
“We really wanted to provide homes for young families, those are the people who need help and that’s what builds our community.”
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