Build With us - Not Over Us

SUMMARY

(Click Button below to read the actual report)

June 23, 2025 – Read the Staff Report that explains why St. Columbo might not be fit for lease to ArtsBuild Ontario, citing  

1) The City just realized that if the structure was used as an arts hub, it couldn’t be considered residential, and would actually be considered Community Use, and as such would require a serious review called a Record of Site Condition, and this is a lot of work, and expected to cost about $40,000. For the months leading up to, and in fact until the middle of the City Council meeting of June 16th, 2025 – apparently this had not been considered. 

2)To use the building as an “Arts Hub” would require rezoning.

3) City staff recommended rezoning for new housing in this location is Residential 9 (R9) which would allow for   

• 20 Stacked townhouses (think 3 stories high), or
• Low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (think 4-story apartments)
• for a total of 62 bedrooms, max, as part of the City’s Official Plan, and since this area of Lincoln Rd. is designated  Low Density.

4) If the City starts now to get housing built, the anticipated timeframe is 28-35 months, unless the City deems a change to a larger building than four stories, this would require an amendment to the Official Plan which would require 2-4 months additional time, but council could approve that under Bill 23 (More Home Built Faster Act)

5) Funding update: originally $750,000 of funding for the $2.9M purchase of the St. Columbo site came from the City’s ‘Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve’ (TRS), but earlier in 2025 the City applied for funding via the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and on March 20 2025 staff were advised that the City would be receiving $1.3M from the HAF.  From that funding the City will replace the $750,000  back into TRS.

6) The report clarifies that the $2.9M in funding for the property actually included $350,000 for capital improvements and an additional $50,000 a year for three years to operate the facility.