25 March 2024
Northern News
Author of the article: CHLOE KNEER
Published Mar 21, 2024
After having been passed over due to a lack of town services, a new building project headed by the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board is finally moving forward in Espanola.
In an effort to trim the lengthy waitlist for affordable housing in the area, a single level, 10-unit apartment building will soon be under construction in the town. Crews were on site at Queensway Avenue and Mead Blvd. last week doing preliminary preparations, which included clearing the just-over one-acre property by taking out trees and surveying.
MSDSB CAO Donna Stewart was pleased to have beaten the deadline of breaking ground before the end of March in order to secure grants for the project.
Stewart said while the Little Current apartment development focused on housing seniors, the Espanola project will be directed towards at-risk individuals, regardless of their age.
The building will have one-bedroom apartments exclusively and will be owned and operated as geared-to-income housing by MSDSB.
The previous council had declined the development where the apartments will be because the parcel wasn’t yet serviced with water and sewer. With the new main trunk line project now complete, services are available at the site, and the hope to have the units constructed and rented by the end of the year.