Proposed Princess Street development for Kingston to include multi-family apartment buildings

Kingston, Ont., is known for many things, such as its history, post-secondary education, and its military base, but it also holds the title for the lowest vacancy rate in the province.

Recently, a local construction company that owns 14-acres in the city’s west end is proposing 10 apartment buildings, each with 12 storeys.

“My Plan for 2880 Princess Street is to provide housing in the form of multi-family residential apartment buildings,” said Paul Martin of R. Paul Martin Construction Co. Ltd.

“The apartment buildings will provide the municipality with a housing option different to what is currently in the area.”

Submitted to City Hall, Martin’s site plan shows four buildings between Princess Street and the storage units, and six more on the north side of the property, along Cataraqui Woods Drive.

The development’s total would be nearly 1,200 units.

According to Loyalist-Cataraqu district councillor Simon Chapelle, Kingston has a 0.6 per cent vacancy rate. He believes this project would not only attract young families to Kingston,  but aksi benefit seniors with an affordable option in a suburban setting.

Although optimistic about the project, Chapelle is skeptical about getting the approvals.

“Are we staying a historical city or are we increasing our density?” Chapelle said. “Because if you’re not growing, the city is dying.”

Global News spoke to a family who purchased a home next to the proposed site in August and they are less enthusiastic about the development.

“When we moved here I didn’t like the orange storage units, but I liked that we didn’t have anyone behind us,” said Shilpi Tarafder.

“But it seems that might change.”

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When asked if she would have purchased the home if she knew that severak 12-storey apartment buildings would be built near her backyard, Tarafder paused for few moments, before saying, “I would really need to to think about it.”

Martin told Global News that he is currently working with the city to finalize his planning submission and will start construction as soon as possible.