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LETTER: Affordable-housing hub in Orillia raises many questions

Letter writer wants to know how costs are calculated and whether there is demand for such a project
2020-06-23 ODCVI JO-001
Preliminary conceptual design for the Orillia affordable-housing hub project, which will be located on the former Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute site. Supplied image

OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor. Send your letters to [email protected]. This letter is in response to ‘County pumps brakes on $80M housing hub in Orillia,’ published June 23.
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The report in OrilliaMatters as to the County of Simcoe's staff planners’ plans for the former Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute site is interesting reading.

I am always skeptical as to what understanding planners sitting in Midhurst have of the local situation. In this case I question their knowledge of the area and Orillia's situation.

The north ward has many apartment buildings. However, this will be the first six-storey unit in the middle of the ward, looming over the present homes. The homeowners may have trouble accepting its compatibility.

I share Ramara Mayor Basil Clarke's concerns about cost. Private developers have to include the cost of the land, demolition costs and, something that seems to be forgotten by municipal planners, the cost of holding on to the land, until it is developed and sold. Private developers focus on the latter because it is a “cost” that can sneak up on you.

The “cost of the land” is roughly $140,000 per residential unit. My question is how is this calculated? Presumably this would include purchase price and demolition, but does it also include a value or price on the interest paid on the initial costs to the date of completion?

Next let me move to the definition of “commercial space.” Apparently, these are units that will be rented out to various social agencies. There is nothing wrong with that concept but I would suggest that “rental space” is a more accurate description of the property because the county still has to find different social agencies, supported by the taxpayer, to pay the rent.

But, do we need another “hub?” Is there a demand?

The Common Roof building on Front Street was built in 2011 with the idea of gathering social agencies together and sharing the synergy that is created. The idea is sound. However, the take-up from the social agencies is not a sure thing. In May of last year a meeting was held to come up with ideas as to how to fill the 6,000 square feet of the 36,000 square feet that had been vacant since 2011. I don't know if it is filled yet.

One wonders how much time and money planners spend before they meet up with the taxpayers' representatives at a meeting of the committee-of-the-whole to discuss the practicality of their proposals.

After decades of county taxpayers’ dollars being vacuumed up by Georgian College, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, and other non-profit ventures to build facilities and buildings in Barrie, it is refreshing to contemplate a large expenditure elsewhere.

Given that Barrie taxpayers would foot $18 million of the cost compared to $6 million for Orillia taxpayers, Mayor Jeff Lehman is correct in his thinking that he “is going to need a lot more information to go to Barrie council and our residents.”

Lots to think about for everybody.

Doug Lewis
Orillia

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