Council advances first phase of proposed seniors housing development
MELBOURNE: A council is backing the first phase of a proposed senior housing community project.
“While all buildings in the Glenfair complex are anticipated to be rental housing developments and therefore eligible for the purpose-built rental housing revitalization tax exemption, this first building with 80 units will provide rents at a geared-to-income rate, qualifying all units as social housing and benefiting from a reduced parking requirement of 0.25 parking stalls per unit, subject to the adoption of this proposed housing agreement bylaw,” a City of Kamloops report said.
The tax exemptions will apply to 100 per cent of the increased assessed value on the municipal portion of taxes for a 10-year period, the report added.
Interior Community Services (ICS) – as operators of Glenfair Seniors Housing – worked to relocate tenants who would be displaced by this construction. BC Housing, which will retain ownership of the land, and it will choose an operator “through a fair public process once the other, subsequent phases, are further along.”
According to an online portal, construction on this first Glenfair building is expected to begin in 2027, while construction of future phases is expected to begin in 2028, subject to funding approval.
“The proposed phasing of development is intended to minimize disruption for residents of the remaining buildings by providing current residents the option to relocate into new units as they are completed,” the city report added.
This Glenfair project is one of several housing projects in the Columbia Precinct that are in various stages of completion.
The Mustard Seed will operate a new 40-bed modular shelter for seniors – Solace – which is nearing completion, while construction of a 20-bed complex care facility at 1102 Glenfair Drive is set to begin this month.
Work on a 251-unit housing development at 515, 523 and 527 Columbia Street is also underway. A housing agreement for the first building with 126 units was approved in June, while an agreement for the second building with 125 units was approved in August.
Operated by the Connective Support Society Kamloops, these rental units will be geared towards middle-income households like teachers, nurses, transit operators, construction workers, and small business owners.