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House of Friendship housing project (Charles St E/Eby St) | 10 + 7 fl | Proposed
#1
Village on Charles
47-75 Charles St E and 40-42, 50 Eby St
9-floor affordable building with 72 units

The proposal appears to retain the tower at 50 Eby St and the low-rise apartment building at 75 Charles St E, but replaces the former House of Friendship shelter and five single-family houses with a 72-unit 9-floor affordable building, including some office space and health office space.

Current render:
[Image: KocmJx4.jpg]

The property:
   

Most of the parcel was already owned by the House of Friendship; 47 Charles St E was owned by the Working Centre, and 40-42 Eby St had private owners.

I expect we will know more after the Committee of Adjustment meeting on the 14th.
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#2
I had a letter in the mail about this, as spoke with the person who orchestrated the project (he's the property manager of where I'm living at the moment.

I don't remember many detail as I threw the letter out. I do remember him saying this should be the first "phase" though; if funding goes ahead in a few years, theyd like to tear down 75 Charles (3 storey tower on the corner) to build something even taller
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#3
Any further details from that community meeting on the 14th?
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#4
Early days but this looks better than some market housing if you ask me:

[Image: untitled_1.jpg]
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#5
Whhhhhhhy they gotta use the staggered windows though haha. That's a trend in design that needs to die already.
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#6
Community hub for social housing planned for Charles Street
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#7
House of Friendship is working with WalterFedy Architecture to redevelop its affordable housing project on Charles Street East.

The plan is to demolish the existing 3 floor building at 63 Charles Street East. In addition, the existing houses at 47 to 55 Charles Street East will be demolished in order to facilitate the construction of a 9 floor geared to income affordable/supportive housing and community hub project. 40/42 Eby Street will be demolished to construct a driveway to facilitate parking (39 underground spaces) at the new structure. 72 residential units in total are proposed. A 2 floor gym will be constructed, a café, medical clinic, an area for religious/spiritual uses and recreation space on each floor are also proposed.

[Image: KocmJx4.jpg]

[Image: KzDMbFQ.jpg]

[Image: Cf5kq4x.jpg]
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#8
I'm quite happy with this project, we desperately need income-geared housing -- and this even looks pretty decent.
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#9
Project Looks Great. I hope that more of these types of projects can be sprinkled around the region to provide income-geared housing to those in need.
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#10
Has there been any news about the hotel conversion project in Waterloo?
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#11
House of Friendship’s Innovative ShelterCare Facility Set to Open

The media release (dated January 19, 2023 and quoted in full below) mentions that it will open "by the end of the month (eg January)"


Quote:House of Friendship is set to open its innovative new ShelterCare facility in Waterloo later this month, where 100 men will receive 24/7 care and onsite health and housing supports.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide this new approach to emergency shelter in Waterloo Region, as one more piece of the puzzle to address the rising homelessness crisis in our community,” said Executive Director John Neufeld. “By providing onsite support with trusted community partners, we are helping address many of the complex needs of those experiencing homelessness. Individuals in our program will get the help and tools they need to become healthier and housed.”

ShelterCare is truly a Waterloo Region innovation, one that is being closely watched by other shelter providers throughout the province – and has only come to life because of the incredible support from multiple levels of government.

Funding for the ShelterCare program includes an $8.5 million investment from the Province of Ontario to help purchase the former hotel, renovation financing support through Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, $1.6 million from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions through the Roadmap to Wellness, and $3.7 million in annual operating support from the Region of Waterloo, including $570,000 in annual capital financing support.

The City of Waterloo has also provided ready support and guidance along the way to aid with the building of this new facility, as well as helping House of Friendship build connections with the neighbouring community.

“We are incredibly grateful to all levels of government for their significant investment in ShelterCare – for helping to find creative, new ways of supporting those experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region,” said Neufeld. “We know that this, along with the dedicated work of community partners who also work in this space, will go a long way towards helping fight homelessness as we walk together alongside individuals on the road to recovery.”

“Our government is proud to work with House of Friendship to support the opening of the new ShelterCare facility in Waterloo,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Ontario’s Minister of Health. “This new facility will provide more convenient access to support systems on the road to recovery for those experiencing homelessness in the Waterloo region.”

“The grand opening House of Friendship’s ShelterCare facility represents a commitment to providing much-needed services, wrap-around care and a safe place to stay for the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Mike Harris, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga. “It was a priority for our government to ensure the great team at House of Friendship received the support they needed to bring this project to completion. It will save lives and help a lot of people.”

“The new House of Friendship facility is a key part of our community’s approach to homelessness,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman. “We remain committed to working with community partners to deliver on our long-term investments in affordable housing.”

“Safe shelter spaces play a critically important role in addressing homelessness. With the opening of this facility, more people in Waterloo can access the basic needs of food and shelter, along with the support they need to break the cycle of homelessness,” said Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe.

The building includes 13 fully accessible rooms on the main floor, a dedicated intake space for participants to meet with shelter staff as they arrive, an onsite medical clinic and healthcare spaces, a kitchen and dining room, a housing hub, and space set aside for community partners to provide a variety of services and supports for shelter participants. Gathering areas within the building will also provide areas of connection for participants, helping to build a sense of community – a key factor in supporting those with mental health and addiction challenges.

“A great deal of care and attention to detail has gone into the design of this facility, with extensive input from staff, community partners and shelter participants,” said Neufeld. “This building will provide far more than shelter, with its ultimate goal to help individuals in our program get healthy enough to become housed and exit the cycle of homelessness for good.”

The new facility will open later this month, starting with 26 participants who are currently supported through House of Friendship’s shelter program in downtown Kitchener. New participants will enter the program through a phased-in approach, in coordination with the Region of Waterloo’s Emergency Shelter network, with a goal of serving 100 men at this location.

Posted on: January 19th, 2023
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#12
ShelterCare is a different project than this, located in Waterloo at 190 Weber Street North. It's a shelter, whereas this is actual supportive/transitional/affordable style apartments. This one hasn't started yet.

ShelterCare: https://houseoffriendship.org/sheltercare-renovations/
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#13
(12-07-2021, 04:13 PM)GtwoK Wrote: theyd like to tear down 75 Charles (3 storey tower on the corner) to build something even taller

Some news on this one: they want to construct two new buildings, one being 7 floors and the other being 10 floors. 172 affordable apartments would be added. Commercial space is proposed on the ground floor.
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#14
Construction on the first phase appears to be starting. Fencing is set up around all the buildings that will be demolished and demolition permits have been issued. They don't have the balance of construction permit yet but that shouldn't take long to be issued. 

The project manager for this is Melloul Blamey, they've been the PM for a bunch of projects in KWC (Circa, Gaslight, 900 King St W, Civic 66 as some examples).
The demolition work is being done by Romeo Demolition and Excavating, they're a small company but seem to be getting a large chunk of the demolition work lately.

Based on Melloul Blamey's website they're expecting completion in 2026.
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#15
(09-25-2024, 08:38 PM)ZEBuilder Wrote: Construction on the first phase appears to be starting. Fencing is set up around all the buildings that will be demolished and demolition permits have been issued. They don't have the balance of construction permit yet but that shouldn't take long to be issued. 

The project manager for this is Melloul Blamey, they've been the PM for a bunch of projects in KWC (Circa, Gaslight, 900 King St W, Civic 66 as some examples).
The demolition work is being done by Romeo Demolition and Excavating, they're a small company but seem to be getting a large chunk of the demolition work lately.

Based on Melloul Blamey's website they're expecting completion in 2026.

Here is an updated render:
[Image: Rendering.jpg?w=2500]
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