At a ceremony Thursday morning, ground was broken for the city’s latest affordable housing development.
It will become the home of a five-storey, 82-unit complex known as Highview Hideaway, located at 220 Highview Drive.
It’s a partnership between Eastwood Housing Corp. and Doug Tarry Homes and is an example of what can be done when we work together, stressed Doug Tarry.
The 82 units in this project will consist of one- and two-bedroom rental apartments, all at 79 per cent or lower of CMHC market rates.
All units will be built to Net Zero Ready Standard with the goal of full Net Zero in the future by using solar energy.
We asked Tarry about focusing on not only an affordable housing development but one that is environmentally friendly.
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston stressed it is all about communities working together.
Preston added the city has to ensure a secure social safety net is in place for residents.
Eastwood already has an inventory of 325 units in 11 properties across St. Thomas and Elgin county and Jon McCurry, Eastwood’s Director of Operations stresses this is an ideal location.
Jon McCurry, Eastwood’s Director of Operations explained construction is expected to begin shortly and a unique feature will be the use of modular construction.
“This building will be modular built, so it’s literally going to arrive on flatbed trucks. Our construction company is telling us within about six to eight weeks you will see a building appear on this site.
“But that’s just the structure, you won’t be able to move in but it is going up very fast.”
Highview Hideaway will include an on-site community room, storage lockers, laundry facilities and pickleball courts.
Full occupancy is projected for mid-2026.
Eastwood Housing Corp. will own and operate the property and provide all tenant and maintenance services.
The projected cost of the undertaking is just over $28 million, with the City of St. Thomas contributing $3 million (an earlier figure of a $5 million contribution has been corrected).
Eastwood is a Christian, non-profit, charitable organization that also works with the YWCA in providing three townhouse units for families and a pair of townhouses for youth experiencing homelessness.
