Housing: Building committee chair said interest has been through the roof

B4

BRUCE BARTLETT
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

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SAINT JOHN - Since putting out feelers for interest in more seniors housing in east Saint John, the Knights of Columbus have increased the size of a proposed apartment building from 28 to 42 units.

"We sent out surveys to three churches," said Kevin McDonald, chair of the building committee of the Father Eugene O'Leary Council 6595 of the Knights. "We got 119 back."

With that many people responding to a formal survey. It indicates there is a big demand out there, he said.

"It's amazing, the calls are coming from around the province," he said.

The knights thought they had found an ideal piece of land and put in an offer, but when they investigated further, they found it was too wet, so they have made an offer on another piece and expect to hear soon.

"We know it's going to go through, it's a matter of getting the approval and saying give me a number so we can sit down and talk," he said.

The proposal now is to build a three-story apartment complex, serviced with an elevator, that will have seven full-rent two-bedroom apartments and 35 smaller units designed for assisted living or subsidized rent, he said.

"We have met with Mike McMenamon at N.B. Housing and CMHC will be involved because we are non-profit as everyone knows," he said.

The complex will serve not only the seniors who want to downsize but will also look after those who have physical challenges and need accessible living spaces, he said.

If the government agrees to subsidize the apartments for those in need it helps to make the project more financially viable, he said.

The land the knights are now interested in purchasing is zoned for a multiple unit residential building of up to three stories, he said.

"We could build one with 14 apartments on each floor," he said.

McDonald believes the project will cost between $3 and $4 million and the committee is working with two companies, but has not yet made a final selection.

"We have promised that we would build a state-of-the-art building," he said.

The knights have the money for the land and are confident that the rest can be found through a combination of grants and borrowing.

"We have been very fortunate," he said. "They started a TV bingo long before I came to this council. We donate over $100,000 per year back to the community and we are going to continue to try to do that, but there is also a bit of extra money there so we are going to try to do something positive to help the community at large."

The dream for the knights is for the building to pay its own way.

The hope is for construction to begin in the spring of 2010.