Work to dismantle four 1950s-era single-storey cottages on Cook Street is expected to start in the next month, making way for a new four-storey building with affordable units for seniors.
The $14-million independent-living building, with up to 90 units, will replace the 65-year-old Kiwanis Village cottages in the 3000 block of Cook. The four white cottages consist of one triplex and three duplexes — nine homes in total — constructed as seniors housing.
A dozen residents had been living in the cottages but they have relocated in the past 14 months to other units on the site, said David McLean, chairman of the building committee for the non-profit Kiwanis Village Society of Victoria. The eight-acre site is also home to small stucco homes, apartment buildings, communal recreation areas, offices, paths and green space.
A total of 200 people who meet criteria, including income limits, live on the Kiwanis property in the stucco houses or apartment buildings. One building provides supportive housing with meals and more, while the rest are designated for independent living.
Rental rates have not yet been set for the new units and financing details are still being worked out, McLean said. Rates on the site vary, depending on the type of dwelling, number of bedrooms, size and services offered.
In 2018, rents ranged from $450 a month for a bachelor suite to $1,400 for a supportive-housing unit.
A consultant will carry out a market survey prior to the new building being designed, said McLean, who hopes to see construction begin in the spring. Rezoning is not required, although the project will go through the development-permit process.
McLean said the property really does house a village type of community, including one 90-year-old resident who has lived at Kiwanis Village for 30 years. “Folks get on well.”
Ron Nelson, chairman of the 100-year-old Kiwanis Village Society, said new affordable rental units for seniors are urgently required in the capital region, where the vacancy rate is close to zero.
Kiwanis Village has a list of close to 400 names on its waiting list, McLean said. Staff will be checking through it to see how many are still active.
Requests for housing are steady. Two more came in on a recent morning this week.
The society is talking with the Victoria Fire Department about the possibility of the demolition site being made available for training purposes.
The work signals the start of a long-term, multi-stage development of the property.
For the next stage of the development, the society plans to construct a second building similar to the one that will be going up this year, McLean said. A specific start date has not yet been set. Also planned is work on the site elevation and layout — it has two levels — to make it easier for residents to get around.
