Several problems added to delays, including discovery of buried water and power lines not on the original plans, plus challenges with weather, supply chain and labor shortages, and the need for foundation design changes.
Delayed construction of a 24-unit affordable housing project for seniors in Sarnia appears to be back on track.
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Work on the foundation of the new building, next to existing Lambton County-owned affordable housing at Maxwell Park Place, resumed recently after pausing in 2022 when unexpected organic material was found in the soil.
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The county went with a modular construction plan for the expansion, expecting it would be faster, and initially planned for the project to open in 2022.
Several problems added to delays, including discovery of buried water and power lines not on the original plans, plus challenges with weather, supply chain and labor shortages, and the need for foundation design changes.
Originally expected to cost $6.1 million, the estimate is now about $7 million. The provincial and federal governments together have contributed more than $3 million.
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“It has been a very trying project,” said Melisa Johnson, the county’s housing services manager.
“We never expected that when we went down the road with module that we’d have these kinds of delays, but we’re living and learning and we’re going to get a very beautiful final project once we’re there,” she said.
A recent delay was getting city approval for a new foundation building permit. It came in late November and concrete work resumed.
Sarnia had issued a provisional permit, but because of design changes, city building officials “wanted to review all of the changes and re-issue it,” Johnson said.
“We had a large for last week and we have walls forming in the module area,” she said.
Concrete work on the foundation is expected to wrap up in coming weeks and “modules will begin to be stacked at the end of February,” she said.
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Fifty-four modules have been assembled by the manufacturer and are stored at a site in Sarnia just a 10-minute truck ride from the construction site at 993 Maxwell St.
Module construction at a Toronto-area factory paused in fall 2022 while other issues were resolved, resuming in spring 2023.
Once modules have been lifted into place on site, work will continue on the elevator, roof and other “finishing touches,” Johnson said.
She hopes tenants will be able to move in this year. “It might be August, it might be October, but we’re progressing.”
Selection of tenants for the new apartments has begun, she said.
The plan is to let tenants of Lambton’s existing affordable seniors housing to move into the Maxwell Park Place expansion, then update the units they vacate, if needed, and make them available to people on the county’s housing wait list, Johnson said.
“Our wait list for one-bedrooms is about four years,” she said. “It’s quite a wait.”
The county will fill 18 of the new units, Johnson said. Six are barrier-free apartments, with additional support services, expected to be operated through March of Dimes Canada.
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