North Bay City Hall has paved the way for potential new housing after buying 86 acres of land next to where the Community Centre is going to be built on Lakeshore Drive.
The land was bought for $295,000 from J.P. Investments.
Deputy Mayor Tanya Vrebosch says it’s the same land J.P. Investments wanted to sell to the city in 2018 for the proposed Community Centre.
Rather than buy the land at that time, the city opted to build the Community Centre on its own land.
But Vrebosch says the offer to buy the land came up again and this time council approved buying it for different purposes.
Vrebosch says it’s a unique opportunity for the city.
“It allows us to extend the Community Centre if we have to, or create an eco-park, make more trails or parking,” she said.
However, for Vrebosch the larger potential is using about 30 acres of the plot of land for affordable housing.
She says of the 86 acres, about 30 acres can be truly developed and what she personally foresees is small bungalows on the order of 1,200 square feet or less.
“Let’s address the gap in housing,” she said following the council meeting that approved the purchase.
“Bungalows is something we need for seniors.”
Vrebosch says if the small homes became a reality then that opens the area for small shops to also open.
She says in addition, the homes would be next to the Community Centre where the seniors could access the walking track or ice skate.
Vrebosch says the purchase is also in line with North Bay’s plan to grow the city in the West Ferris area.
Vrebosch is emphasizing the notion to build affordable bungalows is her personal favourite.
She says nothing is even close to being decided with what to do with the land.
The Deputy Mayor says staff will report to council in the future on how the land can potentially be used.
She says staff could make several recommendations and she’s hopeful using some of the land for affordable housing is one of them.
That could open the doors to selling the approximate 30 acres to a developer.
The area is already serviced with utilities.
