There is exciting news in Belleville, as plans are in motion to turn a surplus federal office building into affordable housing, in partnership with three First Nations groups.
There were smiling faces all around Tuesday as a formal announcement was made about plans for a “luxury apartment complex” that will be built into a former federal government building to be called “Sagonaska Place,” named after what is now called the Moira river. However, according to the company in charge of the project, “luxury” doesn’t mean the units will be out of reach price-wise.
“It has a really solid structure, so we think we can convert it, build our 38 units hopefully by fall,” said Rick Summers, CEO of Summers and Co.
A partnership with the developer and three First Nations groups, including the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, will offer options to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people for housing.
“More than half of our population lives off-reserve. Not everybody wants to live on the reserve,” said Chief R. Donald Maracle of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. “So, we have to address the housing needs of both the urban and the on-reserve territory.”
While they’re called “luxury” units, Summers said he believes that the homes will not be prohibitive to people who are struggling to find a place to call home.
“About 20 of them are going to be more accessible, more affordable, and from the affordable rents, we’re just working on what that will look like.”
It’s just a drop in the bucket for what is a large housing problem both municipally and across the country, but Mayor Neil Ellis said projects like this, and ones on the horizon, are working to solve the challenge.
“(There are) a lot of great projects out there with the community, and in the spring, we’re having a homelessness and mental health summit to get all the partnerships together,” Ellis said.
Summers said he hopes to have the project finished by the fall of this year, though prices for the units haven’t been worked out yet.
“We’ve discussed other projects already and this is kind of our prototype.”
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