The City of Thunder Bay has identified eight properties as surplus and unused lands that could be available for constructing much-needed new homes.
Six of the properties are parkettes. Since May 17, city crews have been installing signage and notifying neighbourhoods of the plan.
Deanna Walker, the manager of Realty Services, said the properties will be reviewed by city council for consideration as surplus to support housing needs.
“We wanted to provide the community information that we will be inviting their feedback, which is on the signage as well as on the letters provided to neighbourhood residents,” Walker said.
“We wanted to let everyone know that it is in the intent that all net proceeds of those sales will be directed towards parkland supports.”
Walker noted that the city is aware that there are impacts to this plan and invite feedback from the community. She added that response information was included in the information sent out to the neighbourhoods.
Lexi Malo, who walked her dog Lennox through the Woodside Parkette, on Tuesday, said some of the residents in the area are disappointed that the city isn’t bringing the parkette back.
“(The city) said that they would put the park back but it’s been about 10 years now,” Malo said.
“There was just a skating rink at one point and last year, they didn’t put a rink back at all, so it’s just been sitting here for now. There’s a need for homes in the neighbourhood but I do feel like there are a lot of young children around here and the park would be very useful to them. But whatever’s needed is needed.”
Joel DePeuter, deputy director of the City of Thunder Bay’s development services, said an important part of the strategy to meet the housing targets is to unlock property that’s on existing services.
“Council directed administration to find surplus properties, including parkland, which was key criteria when we reviewed our property inventory,” DePeuter said.
At this point, DePeuter says “everything is on the table” in terms of preference towards multiple forms of housing. With an ambitious housing target, many of these properties could support more than one unit. He added that one of the housing accelerator initiatives is to make adjustments to the zoning bylaw.
“We are looking at lands that are currently zoned commercial that could permit residential uses,” he said.
Demolition, road and infrastructure work is being done on Simpson Street between Rowand and Dease streets this summer, an area which DePeuter said is being considered for construction of affordable housing units.
He added that there will be a requirement that the lands sold by the city must be built on within an associated timeline because the “city is not interested” in holding onto sold lands for an extended period.
