222 Spadina (Supportive Housing within former hotel space)

[Northern Light]

The City has apparently acquired this site for the purpose of affordable housing.

Not clear to me from the article is if they merely purchased the residential building, or the entire complex.

Rosedale and Chinatown picked as sites for 334 new affordable housing units

The two sites — set to be announced Thursday — will be the first of roughly 10 projects funded with more than $200 million in federal money.

www.thestar.com

Apparently they are aiming for December occupancy.

****

To me, this site screams out for redevelopment (with affordable housing).

I would love to see CreateTO and @HousingNowTO all over this.

It might take a couple of years to plan, and in my ideal world, a couple of adjacent properties be acquired, and so might still make sense for near-term occupancy while that was worked out.

But this is a huge site for downtown, and it has some logical to assemble, small properties to the south.

Instead of housing 84 people, this site should be able to house at least 4x that; and maybe more.

Be that entirely deeply affordable or mixed with market-rent housing.

I also see a great City-Building opportunity, by pushing Sullivan Street through the site to Cameron, which would really help connect the Alexandra Park area with Spadina.

Existing Cameron Street side:

Properties to the immediate south, same frontage:

Existing Spadina frontage:

Existing properties to the immediate south: (same frontage)

I can easily see 2 towers, of 15 storeys with generous setbacks.

 

[ProjectEnd]

The City is purchasing strata within the complex, not the complex itself. No redevelopment is contemplated.

 

[Northern Light]

The City is purchasing strata within the complex, not the complex itself. No redevelopment is contemplated.

That's a shame.

The current complex represents under-use of the site.

It's also an eyesore; and one that literally turns it back on the Alexandra Park community.

So much potential there.

 

[DSC]

From City press release:

At 222 Spadina Ave., the City purchased a three-floor former hotel in a multi-use building to provide new homes for approximately 84 people and support their health and well being. The building will have studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments with their own bathroom and kitchen. The building will include amenities such as shared laundry, a communal area and programming space. A building operator and service provider will be selected through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process and will be in place before tenants move in. Occupancy is anticipated to take place in December 2021. The purchase price for the three floors in the building was $22.3 million, which will be covered by RHI funding.

 

[Northern Light]

Report on this to the next Planning and Housing Ctte:

https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ph/bgrd/backgroundfile-165704.pdf

From said report:

 

[HousingNowTO]

Only the Super-8 Motel is "in play" - this is a straight Emergency-Shelter to PERMANENT Affordable-Housing conversion under the CMHC Rapid-Housing Initiative acquisition-funding...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1382692429262946314

 

[benj22]

That's a shame.

The current complex represents under-use of the site.

It's also an eyesore; and one that literally turns it back on the Alexandra Park community.

So much potential there.

Agreed
they really need some renovation

 

[AnnetteMeetsJane]

If this supportive housing project was aiming for a Dec 2021 occupancy, it has widely missed the mark. Progress in renovations seems very slow and certainly no sign of occupancy 13 months beyond that date.

 

[TossYourJacket]

If this supportive housing project was aiming for a Dec 2021 occupancy, it has widely missed the mark. Progress in renovations seems very slow and certainly no sign of occupancy 13 months beyond that date.

I imagine the pandemic didn't exactly help, but ooof that's a long delay.

 

[HousingNowTO]

This was the last update in a public session - MARCH 2022... "The City is pleased to share that it has completed its selection process for a housing and support services provider at 222 Spadina Ave. Homes First has been selected as the housing provider for the 84 supportive homes that will be completed at this building in 2022. The City is pleased to be working with Homes First on making this project a success for future residents and the community.For nearly four decades, Homes First has been working to create housing solutions for our city's most vulnerable, and has experience delivering shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing across 25 sites for more than 1,600 seniors, families, and adults on a daily basis. Homes First has developed a strong housing and support services plan for 222 Spadina Ave., with support staff available on-site 24/7. Residents are expected to begin moving in to their new homes later this Spring."


PDF - https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/u...padina-Housing-Operator-Update-Final-AODA.pdf

 

[HousingNowTO]

News Release - October 11, 2022 - "The new affordable and supportive homes will be completed in phases in 2023 and 2024. The City of Toronto has also purchased two other former motel/hotel sites to provide urgently needed affordable housing. The project at 222 Spadina Ave. (formerly the Super 8 Hotel), currently under renovation, will provide new homes with supports for approximately 84 people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness."

LINK - https://www.toronto.ca/news/update-...id-19-shelter-transition-and-relocation-plan/

 

[HousingNowTO]

That took longer than expected --- but another Ribbon-Cutting today...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1655950982520672256

 

[artyboy123]

Toronto opens 84 new 'deeply affordable' supportive housing units downtown

Three floors of a former Super 8 hotel in downtown Toronto have been transformed into deeply affordable housing for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.

www.cp24.com