By Cynthia Vukets
A city planner quoted in media reports last week denies any threat to the LeBreton Flats affordable housing development.
John Smit, program manager for development review at the City of Ottawa, says he never implied that there would be any extra delay in constructing the affordable units on Booth Street.
“It’s still very much consistent with what the original understandings were,” he says. The city and the developers, Claridge Homes, had agreed to wait to begin construction until city council made a decision regarding transit before developing the Booth Street area.
When plans for light rail were discarded, says Smit, the development was put on hold until the city came up with an alternative plan for public transportation.
“We were at a point, if the LRT had commenced, chances are we’d be in a position right now where work would be happening on Booth Street,” he says.
The developers say there has been no change in the construction plans.
“The project’s not in jeopardy,” says Neil Malhotra, vice-president of Claridge Homes. “It’s not an issue of lack of transit . . . it’s an issue of what the transit is going to be.”
He says the original plans proposed seven to eight years for construction of the affordable housing units.
“There’s no delay at this stage,” he adds.
Smit says it wouldn’t make sense to begin construction without knowing what changes will be brought about by the construction of transit infrastructure.
The development is still well within the timeframe of the original agreement, he adds, and the affordable units could take several years. But they will be constructed.
“If council makes a decision on how we’re going to deal with transit in the city, we could see something happening sooner,” he says.