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Housing project slated to break ground this summer in Guysborough

  • June 29 2022
  • By Lois Ann Dort, Local Journalism Initiative reporter    

GUYSBOROUGH – “It’s a sure thing,” Andrew Boudreau, owner of Caper Developments Ltd. and Atlantic Edge Properties Inc., told The Journal on June 24 about his plans to develop a 36-unit apartment building, for ages 55-plus, in the community of Guysborough.

“We’ve been dealing with the MODG [Municipality of the District of Guysborough] for the last several months … financing is in place, everything is in place to move forward as soon as we can get boots on the ground,” said Boudreau. “It’s going to happen.”

While the $5-$6 million development will create more housing options in the area, it will also bring jobs.

Boudreau told The Journal that Caper Developments would be hiring a lot of local area contractors, such as, “RSR painting, Sheldon Richards; Bernie Dorrington for roofing and we have some other local subs [subcontractors] helping out. We are hoping to use the local Home Hardware and Timber Mart as much as possible as well.”

Several long-term jobs will also be created after the building is completed. Boudreau said they would be tendering maintenance packages for snow removal, gardening, landscaping and building cleaners.

The company plans to start groundwork and concrete in mid-August with an estimate of 14 months to complete the project.

One of the most important questions potential tenants have of any apartment is price. Boudreau said the building will have one-bedroom and two-bedroom units for $900 and $1,200 a month, respectively.

“We’re trying to stay as modest as possible with the rent. We don’t want to scare anybody away,” said Boudreau.

Design work for the project is still underway, but Boudreau said they hope the final engineering plans will be done by the end of this week. The building will be three storeys high with a slight pitch roof and will follow the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC’s) guidelines for retirement housing, as well as new energy efficiency standards.

“It’s going to be an extremely green building – almost net zero for a building this size,” said Boudreau, noting that the building will have a very high R-value insulation, reuse greywater and use renewable energy as much as possible.

This development project will be a first for the company in Guysborough, although they have built five to six new homes in the area in recent years. Boudreau said he was drawn to this project due to the clear need for more housing.

“We know there is a need here just from talking to local residents. People have been approaching me for the last year or two and voicing concerns,” he said.

“We’ve been hearing this need of people wanting to come closer to Guysborough and be closer to the amenities and, as well, for younger people looking to buy homes; there’s just nothing. I think it is going to fill a need for both the younger generation to be able to move into these homes that the older generation is moving out of…36 units should make at least a slight difference for the area,” Boudreau told The Journal.

For residents that live near the development site on the corner of Church and Queen streets, the question of water may be top of mind, as businesses and homes in the area rely on a single well operated by the stakeholders through the Aqua Society.

Boudreau told The Journal that the company’s “consultants have been in touch with them [Aqua Society] about the amount of water it produces to make sure it’s suitable and it’s not going to affect, essentially, the neighbours. It’s not going to negatively affect anybody, and everybody is going to be able to contain and maintain good gallons per hour…Right now, it looks good, looks like lots of water pressure and water consumption available.”

He added, “We’re going to be using as much greywater as possible so that’s going to be helping as well. Our mechanical room will re-consume the greywater as much as possible. Hopefully, it will put as little stress as possible on the Aqua Society.”

There’s no name for the project, although Boudreau told The Journal that Carleton Place has been suggested; a nod to Sir Guy Carleton for whom the Shiretown of Guysborough was named. He added that the company was open to suggestions from area residents.

Boudreau expects a website for the development will be live within the next six to seven weeks. “It will have an information page to reach out to one of our coordinators with questions and concerns; any kind of information that people would be looking for, to answer any questions local residents may have.”

Boudreau concluded the interview by commenting on the support the MODG has given to the project, “We’re all pointing in the same direction here of creating space for residents.”