The County of Simcoe unveiled some new details this week about the design and site layout of their new social and affordable housing hub project in Orillia during a pair of virtual public information sessions.
The $80-million project is planned for the former Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (OCDVI) site on West Street North. It’s expected to be completed by the spring of 2023.
However, the county's maintenance and facilities project manager, Brad Spiewak, says the project could be delayed.
“It all depends on how quick in the summer we can get going. I think in reality every job we have done we seem to lose two to four months... so that’s where I think early or late fall of ’23 is what we could expect,” he said.
The hub development will create a total of 130 units, which include three replacement social housing units and 127 new affordable housing units.
The development will include 55 one-bedroom units (at approximately $770 per month), 29 two-bedroom units ($890 per month), 17 three-bedroom units ($1,100 per month), as well as 29 studio (bachelor) units ($590 per month) for targeted vulnerable populations.
“We do always design as 'age-friendly' as we call it. We want people to stay in their apartments for as long as they can,” Spiewak said.
"I think we all know there are pressures out there, whether it be long-term care homes or other types of supportive housing, so the longer we can keep people in their homes if we have those design elements in there, the better off we are.”
Units will be designed to be easily accessible for seniors with parking spots for scooters, grab bars in the bathrooms, rounded countertops, chamfered walls and other features.
Arfona Zwiers, the county's director of social housing, said stakeholders “have helped to shape the design process and vision for this community hub.”
She said more than 85 attendees logged on as participants in the two public information sessions hosted by the county.
“Feedback from the open houses will be considered as we move forward,” she said.
Questions ranged from “general support of the initiative, to input about increased traffic, height of the buildings and the use of outdoor spaces and gardens on the facility, among other topics.”
She said a lot of thought and effort has gone into the design and look of the buildings.
"It’s important to know that the county is investing in the design of this building to ensure it meets the architectural requirements of the City of Orillia, while maximizing the creation of affordable housing," said Zwiers.
"The project will include quality, robust building components that are designed to last for many decades, in particular at a time when other affordable housing builds are utilizing containers and/or lower quality materials," Zwiers said.
"(County) council supported the investment in this project, to ensure the design fit with the multi-generational community hub vision, met a range of unit sizes to address different household sizes (and) made an impact on current affordable housing targets," Zwiers told OrilliaMatters.
"Council kept long-term costs in mind for the next 20 to 50 years as maintenance and upgrades are required, and the project is designed to be self-sustaining over several decades."
In addition to the housing component, the hub will also feature a commercial portion that will include Ontario Works, the VON Adult Day Program, Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, an EarlyON Child and Family Centre, a housing office, and partner agencies.
“We’ve spent a lot of time designing flexible programing spaces and public spaces that all agencies, as well as tenants, can use,” Spiewak said.
The building's design is divided into distinct sections comprised of a six-storey wing (fronting West Street) and a four-storey wing (fronting Borland Street).
“That is to try to break it up and also put the larger section over on West Street and the smaller, shorter, lower in height section on Borland Street, as we move into residential,” Spiewak explained.
The outside of the building includes direct and accessible connections to transit with two different entrances for the building off of West Street and Peter Street, parking and paths, heated and textured entrance areas for safety, raised accessible garden planters, outdoor play areas, seating, decorative landscape features, and an amenity terrace.
“We try to put in outdoor playgrounds and blend in all our site and walkway lighting together so it’s a barrier-free and a safe place to walk, and a safe place for families to interact and play,” Spiewak said.
The site layout also includes many environmental features including electric vehicle stations, green roof section, high building envelope standards, low solar heat gain windows, efficient mechanical and electrical systems, dark recovery systems, dark sky compliant lighting, and increased tree planting.
“An urban forest is important, the more trees we can get on the site the more it will help with a number of things; it helps with light migration, noise migration, it helps with privacy, and it also helps the environment,” Spiewak said.
“We set a high standard of energy and environmental sustainability. We want to reduce not only our environmental footprint but also those utility bills that are the tenants' cost,” he said.
The site plans also include an homage to ODCVI and its predecessor on the site, Orillia High School.
“There is certainly a long history and tradition of the school being there. Throughout the life of the school, there was a student memorial arboretum and we are, of course, going to protect that and integrate it into our design; some of our green space connects to it and enhances it,” Spiewak said.
“One of the things we found in the school before we took it down was one of the original windows from the school which had been preserved. We have since taken that window out and have it in safekeeping. It’s something we would like to incorporate into one of the government offices to pay respect and homage to the original use of the site," he said.
The new hub is important, Zwiers said.
"This is an extremely important initiative to address urgent affordable housing needs in the Orillia area, as well as to bring community services together under a multi-generational hub model to serve the community," Zwiers said.
"Going back to 2018, when the county purchased this land from the school board, this was a rare opportunity as parcels of land such as this are not often readily available."
— With files from Jessica Owen
