John Street Apartments and Municipal Garage Project

The John Street Apartments (now called Chapelview) was undertaken in response to a growing need for affordable housing in the Regional Municipality of Peel. The Municipal Garage, also on John Street, addresses the parking needs of Brampton's Downtown, which has been the heart of the community since 1853.

Opened in 2010, Chapelview is one of the largest affordable housing projects built in Ontario in the last decade, with 16 stories and 200 units for seniors and singles. It is also the first affordable housing project in Canada to receive the Platinum NC-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the Canada Green Building Council for its innovative environmental design features.

The building has been designed to fit into the Downtown area, with exterior finishes that mimic the historic building in the immediate neighbourhood. It meets the requirements of the Affordable Housing Design Guidelines, providing residents with a healthy and safe environment to live in.

Results

Challenges

• Development of the municipal garage and acquisition of the additional parcel of land postponed the star of the project for almost two years and increased the cost by $6.7 million. These additional funds were provided by the city.
• The LEED Certification process can be expensive. However, it may be optional in the future as the region has expanded the Affordable Housing Design Guidelines to encourage sustainable buildings without spending money on certification.
• The lengthy municipal approval processes can cause delays. It is very important to develop a good working relationship and have regular meetings with municipal authorities to get timely approvals.

Lessons learned

• Good planning and timely decision making were very important to keep the project on budget and schedule, as well as to keep the scope changes under control.
• A good communication plan with all stakeholders was crucial to the project success.
• Using an RFP and turn-key kind of contract expedited the use of funding with tight deadlines, acquire the land for development and take advantage of potential corporate sponsorship.

Resources

• Peel's Housing and Homelessness Plan

Partners and Collaborators

• Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
• Peel Living
• Martinway Contracting Ltd.

Project Contact

Marwan Kassay
Specialist, Program Design and Development Strategic Planning
Peel Region, ON
T. 905-791-7800 ext. 3616