A Fairfield housing project previously proposed as condominiums has been redesigned and will go to public hearing as a 44-unit rental building.
Empresa Properties and Low Hammond Rowe Architects are proposing a “boutique” four-storey apartment building with underground parking be built at 1120-1128 Burdett Ave. on lots currently occupied by three 1920s-era homes.
When last before council in May, the applicants had proposed 36 strata condominiums. That proposal has been redesigned as a 44-unit market-rental apartment building, with a housing agreement guaranteeing it will remain rental for years, said Charlotte Wain, senior city planner.
Mayor Lisa Helps called the revised submission “a model proposal” and that rental is a better fit for the neighbourhood. “We have a better design that fits into the neighbourhood and will hopefully be accepted by the neighbourhood,” Helps said. “It’s replacing three buildings with a significant increase in units close to the downtown. It’s walkable and I feel really proud of the developer and staff for working really hard to bring us back this proposal.”
The change to rental from strata came after the applicant applied for funding to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s Rental Construction Financing Program
Helps suggested council write a letter of thanks for the program. “I think this is the first of many that we’re going to see in the city as a result of this program,” she said.
Coun. Ben Isitt tried but failed to get council support to have staff approach the applicant to extend the rental guarantee to a longer period.
He supported sending it to public hearing, saying the shift from strata to rental is “valuable” and noted there will be an amenity contribution of about $41,400 to offset the impact of the project.
He said there seems to be less concern from residents than when the previous proposal came before council.
“I don’t see the same concern just based on correspondence received to date, but that certainly could still exist,” said Isitt.
“I’m pleased the applicant has come back on their own accord and have gone from a condominium to a market rental,” said Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe.
She said if council were to ask for a longer guarantee that units remain rental it would probably have to make concessions such as providing more density or height “and I’m not prepared to do that.”
Helps said it would not be in the city’s best interest to try to extend the tenure of the rental agreement. “We have a rental housing crisis now and we’re going to get 44 rental housing units now. They’re going to be here for 20 years. I think you really don’t want to send the signal that when you come with an offering we’re going to ask you for more,” Helps said.
Coun. Geoff Young was the only one to vote against forwarding the project to hearing. He said the site is “on the edge of the [neighbourhood’s] higher built up area” and that something more respectful of the traditional residential neighbourhood would have been preferable.
