Apr
30
2009
Welland Mills Centre Thorold, Ontario
Author: adminMany municipalities, notes Sandy Hutchens, across Canada are facing the twin challenges of dealing with industrial land in the downtown area, which has been polluted and then abandoned, while at the same time avoiding urban sprawl as the population increases and needs housing. A third challenge confronting many towns and cities is creating affordable housing as part of the pool of housing options available to their citizens.
Keefer Developments, a private company specializing in “brownfield” reclamation, has redeveloped a multi-use historical site in downtown Thorold, including affordable housing, through a partnership with the town and with senior governments. Welland Mills is a historic landmark in downtown Thorold. The old stone building is part of 16-acre brownfield site that had been polluted by a paper mill that occupied part of the property.
In 2001, Keefer Developments Ltd. undertook a cleanup project, known as the Gallaher Mills Brownfield Community Improvement Plan to remove the contaminated soil and develop the valuable property in the city’s downtown.
The plan included both revitalizing the Welland Mills building while preserving its historic significance and providing much needed affordable and accessible housing. The conversion project, known as the Welland Mills Centre, is a multi- use residential-commercial building that contributes to the revitalization of Thorold’s downtown, while addressing the housing needs of seniors and low- income single people in the community.
Completed in 2006, the renovation of the Welland Mills Centre, which has a historical designation, involved repairing the original stone walls and wooden beams. The Centre provides 18 affordable rental units for seniors and low-income single people. The affordable apartments are on two floors, while the other two floors of the four-storey building are set aside for commercial space. One-quarter of the apartment are geared to the occupants’ income, while occupants of the remaining units are charged the average market rent according to CMHC data. Keefer has also constructed eight townhouses for sale on the 1.3-acre property surrounding the mill, thus promoting income mixing within the project. The affordable housing component of the Welland Mills Centre cost a total of $2.2 million. Through the Affordable Housing Initiative, CMHC and the Province of Ontario contributed $527,018 towards the project. The City of Thorold waived $40,392 in development charges for the project and provided $237,633 in municipal grants. The Region of Niagara waived $47,880 in development charges The developer contributed $100,000 in equity and CMHC provided mortgage loan insurance.