Construction of Ellwood House extension set for spring

The long-planned expansion of Ellwood House in Alta Vista has moved closer with the decision of its board of directors to break ground early next spring.

“We will start with abatement of hazardous materials and demolition of the old rectory, then proceed with our construction schedule,” said Janice Horton, board chair.

She said that while the board was waiting in September for final approvals from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), there was inadequate time to complete abatement work before freeze-up. This would have resulted in an excavation surrounded by fencing during the winter. Until spring, the rectory will be maintained and secured.

CMHC gave the project conditional approval in June, pending review of Ellwood’s lease agreement with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa.

The lease was prepared with the Diocese’s legal counsel as well as with Kelly Santini, Ellwood’s counsel, a firm with extensive experience in development and construction law.

CMHC has conditionally approved $6,935,004 in financing, which Ellwood directors consider to be secure, along with $9,500,000 from the Ontario Building Faster Fund.  The CMHC funding includes $150,000 in pre-development support, $1,225,346 in a forgivable loan and the balance, $5,559,658, as mortgage.

The directors are in the process of hiring a fundraising consultant for a capital campaign. But until details with CMHC are finalized they don’t know how much they will need to raise.

MacDonald Brothers Construction have been engaged to undertake the work. The project on the campus of St. Thomas the Apostle Church will add 38 accessible and affordable one-bedroom apartments for seniors, more than doubling Ellwood’s capacity.  The original building on Braeside Avenue opened in 1988.

The project includes expansion of existing patio and lounge areas, expanded and upgraded parking, better and safer traffic and pedestrian routes and additional landscaping. As well, detailed upgrading to expand services for the entire campus of St. Thomas the Apostle and the Ellwood site is likely to take some months.

Top photo: St. Thomas’s former rectory, at right, will be coming down to make room for the Ellwood House expansion, shown in the drawing below.