Belleville council has unanimously supported Mayor Neil Ellis in an effort to get affordable housing built where the former Queen Mary School now stands in the city’s west end. The city owns the property and it was put up for sale in 2020.
Council agreed to have staff consult with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to find ways to provide incentives to build affordable, geared-to-income and market rental housing on the five-acre property.
Mayor Ellis says a Request for Proposals would then be put out to the private sector.
“Hopefully they’ll save the school and we’ll look at proposals coming in and if the school’s feasible to build units on it plus other higher
density units that’s what we’re looking for.”
The incentives could include interest free or low interest loans, seed money for planning, or outright grants. At least one acre of the land must be kept for park/playground purposes.
The public will be invited to comment as the process moves forward.
