TWO BIG STEPS FORWARD ON KINVILLAGE'S REDEVELOPMENT PLANS
KinVillage’s plans for gradually redeveloping its site recently took two more giant steps forward.
Back in January 2017, KinVillage’s Board of Directors approved its ambitious Master Plan to guide redevelopment of KinVillage’s site and buildings over the next 20+ years. Since KinVillage is serving the South Delta community in buildings approaching 40 years old, and the needs of older adults in our community have and will continue to change, we need to be proactive in preparing for the future. The Master Plan was a big step towards this. Recently, there have been two more.
On November 9, 2018, we were thrilled to receive word from BC Housing that our application to build more affordable housing under its Building BC Community Housing Fund was approved. Our application was to create a new apartment building, with 160 suites, on the parking lot between North and Vidal Courts. The next step of our planning process, which is now underway, includes assessing and fine-tuning our initial proposal. Suites in the new building will be occupied by older adults, or younger people with disabilities, who live on low to moderate incomes and are able to live independently. Our current timeline for construction to begin is fall 2020, with building occupancy by fall 2022.
On January 29th this year, following a thorough municipal process that included two public forums, Delta City Council approved KinVillage’s application to amend the Official Community Plan (OCP). The new OCP provides the framework critical for KinVillage to continue providing affordable homes and a range of health and wellness services for a growing number of older adults. The new OCP allows for increased density and building height. As a result, over the next 20 years, KinVillage expects to more than double the number of older adults and younger people with disabilities living here. KinVillage currently provides 310 suites, with almost two-thirds of these offering a range of health services; the OCP allows for a total of almost 800 suites. We also hope to expand our Day Program for Older Adults and consider providing other “ancillary” services on site that would be valued by KinVillage residents and potentially by residents of the broader community. Our future includes underground parking and continued connections through our site to the neighbouring Winskill Park.
While our immediate focus is on Phase 1, the North Court Redevelopment project, we will continue to engage with our partners, such as Fraser Health and the City, to identify, advocate and plan for subsequent phases towards realizing the long-term vision presented in the Master Plan.