Plans are in the works for a residential development at the former Mount Slaven Public School property on Westmount Drive.
M5V Developments, the owner of the property, is working with the city's planning department to come up with a design for a housing project that will "benefit the people of Orillia," says real estate broker Linda Ford.
“We’re planning to build a residential project that would complement the existing neighbourhood,” she said in a written statement to OrilliaMatters. “Although, we are too early in the planning process to determine what type of residential development we will build.”
Ward 2 Coun. Ralph Cipolla says the City of Orillia purchased the site in 2009 from the Simcoe County District School Board for $626,000. Since then, the goal has been to find a good use for the site.
“It’s been a ten-year process at least,” he said. “The site itself has needed something to be put there for a while.”
The city later ended up selling the site to Better Life Development from the GTA who had planned to build a retirement home on the site. The company later sold it to M5V Developments.
“I was disappointed when the people who bought it turned around and sold it again,” Cipolla said.
Cipolla hopes that M5V Developments can get the ball rolling on their plans for a residential development soon.
“We need affordable housing in Orillia in the worst way,” he said.
M5V Developments is the same company that designed and built the Sundial Lakeview Retirement Residence, which opened in 2017.
“If they follow the same criteria as they did there, I think they will do an excellent job,” Cipolla said. “I look forward to the type of housing that they are going to build whether it’s a condominium or townhouses.”
While Cipolla hasn’t seen any of the plans yet for the development, he hopes that it includes some affordable and market rent units.
"It will increase the value of properties around there, especially because it’s a nice area to live,” he said. “It will also get rid of what is a bit of an eyesore that has now been there for a while.”
