Members of the public will soon have the opportunity to get their first comprehensive look at a proposed affordable housing hub in Orillia.
The city is hosting a virtual public planning meeting June 7 at 12 p.m. to provide details and receive feedback about the County of Simcoe’s $80-million development being proposed for the former Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute site at Borland and West streets.
“The idea is to introduce the proposal in a formal manner,” explained Jeff Duggan, a senior planner with the city.
He noted the county held a public information session in March to introduce the concept of the development, and it was well attended.
“The public’s very interested in the project,” he said. “It’s transformative. It’s a catalytic project.”
The housing hub would include about 130 affordable units as well as space for social services.
“We’ve been talking about affordable housing forever, and then this comes along,” Duggan said. “It’s really something we’ve been looking for for a long time.”
The June 7 meeting will also provide city council with its first “deep dive” into the details of the project, he added.
The portion of the property on which the development is proposed to be built is designated living area intensification, which supports all of the project’s uses. It also allows for up to eight storeys, though the proposal calls for four storeys along Borland Street and six storeys along West Street.
Duggan encourages interested members of the public to take part in the meeting because “council needs to be aware of what people think.”
Those who want to take part in the meeting can register by emailing [email protected] or calling 705-325-5408.
An agenda will be posted on the city’s website closer to the meeting date.
More information about the proposed housing hub can be found here.
