The City of Parksville is now the sole owner of the property at 222 Corfield St. South, the location of the new B.C. Housing supportive housing project, expected to open in July.
The property was purchased by the City of Parksville for $700,000. To secure full control over the use of the property, the city has repaid the $492,400 grant-in-aid provided by the Regional District of Nanaimo.
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Repayment of the grant-in-aid will facilitate the relocation of the cold-weather shelter component from the supportive housing project, which was a requirement of the RDN. With the repayment, the RDN no longer has an option to purchase the property for $10 and can no longer require the city to permit the cold-weather shelter at the property.
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B.C. Housing has agreed to the relocation of the cold weather shelter from the property and is actively working to determine an alternate location and a longer-term tenure for the cold weather shelter before Nov. 1, 2019. Removal of the shelter from the supportive housing project will not result in an increase to the number of supportive housing units.
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Working with B.C. Housing, the Regional District of Nanaimo, and the other parties involved, the city has negotiated an amendment to the lease provisions with B.C. Housing to reflect the change in use and to receive confirmation from B.C. Housing that a soup kitchen facility will not be located at 222 Corfield. The City of Parksville will continue to work with B.C. Housing to address any community concerns about the supportive housing and ensure the city-owned property is used in accordance with the approved lease.
“We are extremely pleased to put the issues of this project behind us and be able to focus on the city’s business plan for 2019 and beyond. We appreciate the efforts of all parties involved to find a resolution,” said Parksville Mayor Ed Mayne.
— NEWS staff, submitted