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Two aging apartment buildings in Lendrum Place have been demolished and the site cleared in preparation for a new affordable housing redevelopment project set to start later this year.
Capital Region Housing Corporation (CRHC) is set to start construction this fall on a pair of new affordable rental buildings on 60 Avenue and 114 Street, just south of the University of Alberta South Campus and the South Campus LRT station.
The pair of buildings have been designed by Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman (RPK) Architects, with each set to rise 6 stories and a height of 22 metres with 60 residential units apiece. A public walkway has been designed between the buildings, to help residents and the community connect with the LRT station to the north. Some small-scale commercial space is also proposed within the interior, set to include a daycare and a coffee shop.
Community input was instrumental in shaping the development, according to Greg Dewling, CEO of CRHC. The organization met with area stakeholders - including local school board representatives - numerous times over an 8-month period. Dewling says they started with a blank slate, and that the design that went to a rezoning public hearing was informed heavily by that consultation. Those efforts to listen to the community and address concerns up front paid off with a unanimous approval from City Council in March of 2018.
Asked how well Edmonton is keeping up with demand for affordable housing, Dewling indicated that they currently have a waitlist of about 9,000 names, but that construction of affordable units should catch up to demand within 5-10 years, thanks to new investments from all levels of government.
Construction on the Lendrum Redevelopment Project is expected to begin this fall, with completion 18 months later, in 2022.
SkyriseEdmonton will continue to report on this project as it progresses. More images and details can be found in the project Database entry linked below. What do you think of this affordable housing redevelopment? Leave a comment below, or join the ongoing discussion in our Forum!
