Elizabethtown-Kitley Announces Proposed Development at Row’s Corners – VIDEO

New Dublin – Elizabethtown-Kitley Township hosted Marc Koran and Raffaele Freddi, of Campus Habitations, on Wednesday, December 20th for an announcement regarding their proposed development at Row’s Corners.

According to the Township this development, still subject to analysis and approvals, will bring to the region a desperately needed housing solution which is specifically targeted at local workforce needs and following CMHC affordability guidelines.

Elizabethtown-Kitley Township Mayor Brant Burrow said, “Mr. Koran and Mr. Freddi, along with their entire team Campus Habitations, have been exemplary to work with. They met every timeline commitment they made to us, and readily incorporated our feedback throughout their initial due diligence and design work”.

The proposal helps to provide much-needed relief to the local housing crisis, in a very sensitive and thoughtful manner.

It was important to the Council that any proposal being considered acknowledge the significant recreational history of the property. They said that Campus Habitations has met that requirement head-on by incorporating several active and passive recreational amenities in its design which the Township would have found challenging to provide on its own without incurring significant financial pressures.

Rows Corners Development Proposal Press Event Below:

They went on to say in a media release that beyond the significant recreational component of the proposal, the tasteful low-rise architecture of the buildings and the spacious layout of the site plan all contribute to a livable community which will not only be attractive from day one but whose character should also stand the test of time.

“We are pleased to be in a position to partner in bringing an asset to the table whose benefit will impact not only the Township but will also extend beyond our borders into the local region,” said Burrow. He went on to comment, “The importance of collaboration and recognizing opportunities when they present themselves cannot be overstated”.

This opportunity comes, in part, as a result of efforts by the St. Lawrence Corridor Economic Development Commission (The Corridor) – of which the Township is a member – to attract development of scale to the region. In the past, the board of The Corridor recognized that as it continued its efforts to attract new industry to the region, it also had a responsibility to balance that with assisting to bring significant housing solutions to the area.

“The Corridor is extremely proud, as is the Township, that Campus Habitations has selected this site as the location for its inaugural build in Ontario,” said Commissioner, Charlie Mignault. “When developers with a pedigree like theirs choose to invest in this region, it says something about what we have to offer”.

The Campus Habitations proposal for the Township’s property at Row’s Corners follows a series of events which began with the Council’s strategic planning session held at the start of its current term. Among other priorities in its Strategic Plan, Council specifically identified to “review and challenge the status quo of current land assets and oversee corporate property decisions to maximize value, particularly Rows Corners Fairgrounds and North Augusta Road properties”, and also to “prioritize growth, streamline development processes, and support developers in initiating new projects”.

During various Committee and Council meetings throughout Spring 2023, robust discussions regarding the property took place and the Council ultimately passed a resolution at its April 11, 2023 meeting to issue a Request For Proposal whereby housing could be an option. Subsequently, at its July 17, 2023 meeting, Council passed a resolution to continue due diligence with the proponent and now that a Site Plan has been submitted for review and approval, the Township is seizing this earliest opportunity to bring the balance of the process back into the public forum.