Belleville City Council has approved a recommendation from staff to deny a request for a one-year extension to the existing Community Improvement Plan approval for 7 Aldersgate Drive.
As part of the recommendation, if the developer does not meet the Community Improvement Plan application deadline of July 11, 2026, staff will reallocate the amount of $618,000.00 from the Community Improvement Plan reserve fund to the Taxation Stabilization Reserve Fund.
The recommendation was approved by council at its meeting on Monday.
According to a report from staff, back on March 31, 2022, the applicant submitted a Community Improvement Plan (CIP) application for 7 Aldersgate Drive that would result in the creation of 84 rental units, of which 50 were affordable units.
On April 15, 2024, an extension request was granted by Belleville council until July 11, 2026, with the city saying that the applicant anticipated potential delays in the construction process.
The construction process is underway on the development, with the developer, Aldersgate Homes, saying they anticipated completion in the spring of 2027.
In a letter to city staff, the developer said an extension to July 2027 would “provide sufficient time to ensure that all program requirements can be fully met and documented.”
Staff say that while the City originally approved $618,000.00 in incentives through its CIP, subsequent legislative changes under Bill 23 introduced mandatory DC exemptions.
Because of these legislative changes, the total municipal financial contribution to the development effectively increased to $1.3 million.
In a recorded vote, council voted in favour of denying the request for a one-year extension as well as reallocating the amount of $618,000 from the Community Improvement Plan reserve fund if the application deadline of July 11, 2026 isn’t met.
The lone no vote came from Councillor Garnet Thompson, saying he could not turn down funding for subsidized housing.
