The province introduced $10.4 million in infrastructure funding to assist Thunder Bay construct extra houses quicker.
THUNDER BAY – Simply in time for the town to begin getting ready their 2025 finances, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan Kevin Holland introduced that $10.4 million in further funding can be allotted to Thunder Bay’s Interocean Improvement Servicing Program below the Housing Enabling Water System Fund (HEWF).
“It’s a great day for the City of Thunder Bay as they work towards meeting their housing targets,” Holland mentioned.
The funding will allow the Metropolis to develop roughly 100 acres of land within the Central Avenue space between Balmoral and Golf Hyperlinks Street. The challenge will add greater than two kilometres of water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure to the prevailing municipal service.
Over 1,200 new houses are anticipated to be constructed, taking a hefty chunk out of the town’s projected housing goal of two,200 by 2031.
“The city has indicated that the funding that is coming to them, this $10.4 million, it’s gonna go a long way in getting those homes built here in going be quicker,” Holland mentioned.
“It’s not just about getting the homes built. It’s about getting them built quick so that people can realize the joy of homeownership because too many are being priced out of that right now.”
Director of Developmental Providers for Thunder Bay Joel DePeuter mentioned that this challenge has been a high precedence as the realm has been constantly underdeveloped.
“This particular project is one of the best opportunities for the City of Thunder Bay to increase the housing supply. This brings services into an area in the centre of the city, both sides of Central Avenue that is currently under service and the development is very sparse as a result,” DePeuter mentioned.
Appearing Mayor and Coun. Dominic Pasqualino added just a little extra context when he identified the advantages of creating new houses inside the town limits.
“This is the beauty of it by having it in the central. We aren’t really expanding the city limit. We’re not spending a lot of money to put the plows out another 10 miles further. This is where we’re already doing a lot of the services and with the water and sewer in there, we can actually maximize the use of the city,” Pasqualino mentioned.
He identified that that is the biggest growth the town has seen for the reason that Parkdale challenge 30 years in the past.
DePeuter additionally famous the already current houses on Central Avenue can be tied into the brand new infrastructure because of this improvement.
Building for part one, which is putting in the brand new water and sewer infrastructure, is anticipated to start in 2025 and shortly afterwards the town will start to situation constructing permits for the brand new houses.
The whole thing of the challenge is anticipated to finish within the spring of 2027, in line with DePeuter.
Trying ahead, DePeuter expects a variety of housing to be constructed within the space.
“Being central in the city, and well serviced by transit, this is ideal for higher density development. I think that there will be a variety of development from low rise to mid rise perhaps high rise development within this area,” DePeuter mentioned.
When requested if the town was focusing on some stage of lower-income housing within the space, DePeuter mentioned, “Improving affordability will certainly be an objective.”
