Local business owners and seniors have expressed a need for the construction of nearly 300 new accommodations to help with Jasper’s perennial housing shortage.
Last month, the Jasper Community Housing Corporation (JCHC) invited business owners and seniors to express interest in the planning and design of two new developments that would provide staff housing for businesses, as well as market value housing for seniors.
As of March 1, business owners had requested 183 staff housing units, as well as an additional 40 seasonal units for the summer and 18 management-style condos, while the seniors community requested 53 units.
“By doing that process, now we know two things,” explained Mark Fercho, chair of the JCHC and chief administrative officer for the municipality. “We know we have enough interest to create a viable project—there is demand and we know what that demand looks like and we have a list of who those people are—and secondly we know how we need to structure a design charrette process to facilitate group discussions around creating a design.”
A charrette is an intensive planning session where citizens and designers collaborate on a vision for development. Fercho said that step will come after a request for quotations (RFQ) is completed to determine the estimated cost for the developments. He expects the RFQ process to close by the end of March.
Currently the JCHC is considering two plots of land that have been tentatively set aside for development. There is a parcel of land at the west end of Connaught Drive with a maximum build-out of 43 apartment-style units or 21 condo-style units. The second parcel is on the 800 block of Turret Street and is currently home to a number of Parks Canada staff. Its maximum build out is 27 units.
The 10 existing apartments will be torn down in order to allow for the new development to be built, but not before another lot is redeveloped on the corner of Pine Avenue and Patricia Street to house the staff currently living on Turret.
At maximum build out, the two lots would allow for the construction of 70 units—a fraction of what the community is requesting. However, Fercho pointed out that there is a difference between expressing interest and actually fronting the cash for the developments.
“When we actually go through the process we’ll find out what the bonafide actual demand is,” he said.
Once that’s determined, the JCHC will have a better idea of what the development will look like, as well as the demand for future developments on other available lands in the townsite.
Fercho said this project is just the first step toward addressing Jasper’s chronic housing shortage, after years of research and little action. Ultimately, the goal is to help businesses by creating much needed staff housing and to help seniors by providing alternative housing options, so they can downsize from their full-sized homes.
Businesses and seniors interested in participating in the design of the proposed housing developments can contact the JCHC by phone at 780-852-6504 or by email at [email protected].
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
