Parking Lot Development
Exciting Progress!
22 May 2005
and 29 May 2005
Following Vestry approval in January 2005, the Framework Agreement was signed by St John's and Teron in early February. Since this time, Bill and Chris Teron have been working hard on finalizing the building design and moving forward with the necessary City approvals. There is now sufficiently detailed information for St John's and Teron to sign the legal agreement of purchase and sale.
City Approvals
Two large signs have been posted outside the parking lot for three months, notifying the public of the proposed plan to re-zone the parking lot and make an amendment to the Official Plan (which would allow St John's to operate a commercial parking lot in the new condo). No objections have been raised and so no public consultation has been considered necessary. These proposals go before Planning Committee on May 24 for approval and then to City Council on June 8.The second step in the approval process is site plan approval - that is, approval of the design of the building. This submission to the City will likely be made in the next month and will involve a public consultation as part of the process. Should this process proceed smoothly, it is expected that construction would start by the end of 2005.
Building Design
The building design is in its final stages, with numerous enhancements from the earlier plan.Exterior: All ground floor units will have landscaped gardens. There will be a roof garden, accessible by elevator, with a reflecting pool, evergreen shrubbery and a large area for seating. As well, a very attractive streetscape is planned along Somerset. The exterior of the building is much more interesting, with variations in the balconies and additional architectural detail.
Interior: The lobby will be two storeys instead of one, giving a much more open feel. Ceilings will be 8 feet high on all floors but the top floor which will be 9 feet. Some units now contain a den. Larger units face Somerset.
Garage: The first level of parking, the level that St John's will own, has 24 parking spaces.
The ARC Steering Committee has agreed to the building name proposed by the Terons: Somerset Gardens.
Price and Affordability
The prices range from $138,850 to $199,200. Sixteen units are under $160,000; 44 units are priced between $160,000 and $175,000; 43 units between $175,000 and $190,000; and 14 units above $190,000. A parking space costs an additional $25,000. All units meet the City of Ottawa's 2005 affordability guideline and will be accessible to households in the 25th to 40th income percentile, that is households with incomes between $42,333 and $55,521. To increase the affordability, the City of Ottawa has agreed to defer development and other charges for purchasers whose income is $55,521 or less. This amount is about $6,500 and will be matched by Teron, thereby reducing the price by $13,000 for eligible purchasers. This $13,000 can be applied by purchasers to their down payment so, when combined with a high ratio mortgage, the down payments can be as low as $1,400 for qualifying purchasers. The $13,000 will be repayable when the unit is sold. This plan is being called the Assisted Home Ownership Program. To make units even more affordable, the Multifaith Housing Initiative is examining the feasibility of purchasing a small number of units for rental to lower income people.Availability of Units for Purchase
Bill and Chris Teron are presently developing a timetable for marketing the units, which would begin some time after the City Council meeting of June 8. The first step would be to ask those with reservations if they wish to retain their reservation. This group will be invited to an information meeting before needing to make a decision. Next, those whose names are on the Teron waiting list would be able to reserve and then St John's members who had not previously indicated an interest. Finally, units would be available to the general public.
Parking Lot Update 29 May 2005:
The proposals to re-zone the parking lot and amend the Official Plan (which would allow St John's to operate a commercial parking lot in the new condo) were approved by the City of Ottawa's Planning Committee on May 24. These proposals now proceed to City Council on June 8 for approval. The second step in the approval process is site plan approval - that is, approval of the design of the building. This submission to the City has just been made. As noted in the May 22 bulletin, there will be a public consultation as part of the site plan approval process. Should this process proceed smoothly, it is expected that construction would start by the end of 2005. If you missed the May 22 bulletin insert on the Parking Lot, see the ARC notice board outside the Burke Room or on the web at www.stjohnsottawa.ca, select Ministries and then ARC.
