The St. Thomas skyline will change dramatically if the city gives final approval to a proposed 14-storey apartment building, Phase 2 of the redevelopment of the former Timken Canada property.
At a site plan control committee meeting Wednesday, conditional approval was given to the 162-unit building to be located at the south end of the property at the intersection of Talbot Street and First Avenue.
Jeff House of Fast Forward Ventures of London outlines what is planned in the coming years.
Noting this is just the beginning, St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston calls the high-rise residential development one more step in attacking the city’s housing shortage.
House says the 162 apartment units will be market-rate rentals.
He adds, “to make housing more affordable, we need to add more supply to the market of all housing types.”
He stresses location is key as everything residents will need will be within walking distance, including banks and grocery outlets.
House adds there are another six acres at the east end of the property for further residential and commercial development with the potential for as many as four or five apartment towers in the future.
House, a Central Elgin Collegiate Institute grad who still lives in St. Thomas with his wife, Diana, says Fast Forward Ventures, which he formed in 2016, is part of “a great team.”
The focus of the company is to help “investors, builders, developers, tenants and landlords make wise real estate decisions.”
House stresses credit should be give to city staff for wanting to move the planning process along in prompt fashion with a minimum of roadblocks.
Preston indicates it’s one more example of St. Thomas growing “smartly.”
The first apartment tower is expected to be ready for occupancy in two years.
The Timken plant closed in 2013 and was demolished and the site cleared in 2017.
Written by Ian McCallum
