Onward Homes to take lead on Franklin LRT park-and-ride housing project
Onward Homes will be the developer tasked with converting one of the park-and-ride lots at the Franklin LRT Station into housing.
Article content
Article content
The developer, which was unveiled Wednesday at city hall, intends to build up to 350 housing units, ranging from one- to three-bedroom apartments, on the lot just south of Memorial Drive.
Article content
About half of those units will be for below-market rates, catering to seniors, low-income families and tenants with disabilities, said Bryan Romanesky, chair of Onward Homes' board of directors. He added that Onward works with more than 30 service partners to support its most vulnerable tenants.
Article content
Article content
What attracted Onward to the project, Romanesky said, was the site's proximity to Calgary's downtown, as well as other nearby amenities, which include two schools and Marlborough Mall.
Article content
Article content
'Our clients generally don't have a car, so we always try to select sites that will give them the opportunity to walk to grocery stores, appointments and so on,' he said. 'A transit site just opens up the door for them to reach the whole city, just in their doorstep.'
Article content
Conceptual design of the future housing site, which will have a maximum height of six storeys, is underway. Site planning and public consultation will continue through this year, Romanesky said, with hopes for construction to start in May 2026. He declined to speculate when the housing would come online, however.
Article content
'We'll keep going here as fast as we can,' he said. 'Hopefully we'll be able to provide those units as soon as possible.'
Article content
Article content
The project will be supported by $9.5 million from Calgary's allotment of the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
Article content
Mayor Jyoti Gondek touted the city's housing strategy, which includes a directive to leverage city-owned land for housing initiatives, in accelerating the transit-oriented development (TOD) project.
Article content
The Franklin project will be the city's first attempt at redeveloping a CTrain park-and-ride lot into housing. The development also includes public safety improvements along adjacent Radcliffe Drive S.E. and investments to a public park in Albert Park/Radisson Heights.
Article content
'Franklin Station was chosen because it has the ability to connect people to opportunity, to community and to each other,' Gondek said. 'It will not only bring new homes, but it will also bring upgrades to public spaces, to pedestrian pathways and transit connections to create a safe, vibrant and walkable neighbourhood.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Tensions high in Village of Anmore as controversial development heads to public hearing
On Monday, mayor and council in the Village of Anmore will hold a public hearing on a large-scale, multi-family development that could more than double the population of the tiny enclave on the shores of Indian Arm over the next 20 years. The development called Anmore South would add 1,750 units of housing– comprised of condo buildings, townhomes and duplexes – on a large plot of forested land in the centre of the village that is owned by Icona Properties. 'Right now, Anmore is all single-family homes with a couple of duplexes, but basically single-family homes and one corner store, so not really commercial,' said Greg Moore, the former mayor of Port Coquitlam, who is now CEO of Icona Properties. 'This helps to bring jobs and create that complete community for the Village of Anmore.' There is fierce opposition to the project, evidenced by signs on public spaces all over Anmore calling on mayor and council to scrap the development. 'It's too dense for a rural area,' said longtime Anmore resident Leslie Hannigan. 'The reason we moved here is because it's quiet. We aren't part of the urban containment boundary, so we're not in those rules of having to make everything really, really dense.' She argues the village's infrastructure is not meant for a large population, and bristles at the suggestion homeowners in Anmore are NIMBYs opposed to any new development. 'We could have done a really nice thing within our rural designation with townhomes, with cluster homes for seniors, there's laneway homes. There's all kinds of things without having to be this thick, dense area that developers seem to be pushing into all these municipalities,' Hannigan said. Anmore Mayor John McEwen says some in his community are opposed to any kind of change to the largely single-family home village, where the average assessed value is a little over $2,500,000. 'So, (it's) tough for young families to get in when you have such a high assessment,' said McEwen. 'And it's starting to show in our elementary school. Enrolment is a little over 100, where it used to be well over 200.' The mayor says the debate over adding condos and townhomes in Anmore has gotten nasty, with many signs targeting mayor and council, and online discourse that he calls disturbing. 'The word that has troubled me the most to my core is when I hear, 'We don't want that type of people here.' And that really, really bothers me,' said McEwen. 'I look at a diverse municipality that I want, I want it to be welcome to everybody.' Hannigan says she has never heard comments like that among Anmore residents. 'We welcome everyone,' she said. 'Nobody says we don't want these people in here. It's all about preserve the trees, keep us rural, small homes that are connected. I mean, this is again just a frustrating spin when they say that we're NIMBYs and we don't want this. That's wrong.' If mayor and council vote in favour of Anmore South on Monday, the developer still has to get Metro Vancouver to change the village's rural zoning designation in order to start construction on the project. 'If everything went yes votes all the way along the path, we probably wouldn't see a shovel in the ground for at least two years. And then at that point, it's going to be another 20 years as this community comes together,' said Moore. 'So there is lots of opportunity to continue to engage the community.' Right now, it's a community divided: remain a small village, or open the door to big-city density.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Tenant support fair addresses renovictions
The second annual tenant support fair was held today at city hall. The second annual tenant support fair was held today at city hall. The fair, launched by Life Spin last year, was fully sponsored by the City of London this year. Last year's biggest concern remains prevalent this year: renovictions. Landlords use renovations to force tenants out. A new city bylaw is addressing these concerns, said organizers. 'It's a very complex system. So, if we can help people navigate it, that's our main objective today,' said Meagan Ciufo, Life Spin co-executive director.
Globe and Mail
10 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Golden ADU Transforms Retired Teacher's Property Into a Rental Unit, With No Upfront Costs
When Cynthia R., a 67-year-old retired teacher from Lake View Terrace, first considered building an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on her property, she was uncertain about its feasibility. Living on a quiet residential street in a modest single-story home with a detached garage and sizable backyard, her vision was to create a small rental unit: either for her adult son or to supplement her retirement income. However, the process initially felt daunting. Cynthia reached out to several companies, only to encounter vague responses or aggressive sales pitches before anyone evaluated whether her property was suitable for development. That changed when she connected with Golden ADU, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in ADU development. Golden ADU's team provided a free, no-pressure onsite assessment. They measured her property's setbacks, evaluated the slope, and reviewed local zoning regulations. The results confirmed her eligibility to build an ADU, and the company offered a groundbreaking proposal: Cynthia wouldn't need to pay anything upfront. The cost could be deferred until after the project was completed. 'That was a game changer,' Cynthia said. 'I didn't have to empty my savings or take out a risky loan.' Six months later, Cynthia's detached garage had been professionally converted into a fully permitted one-bedroom ADU, complete with its own kitchen, bathroom, and private entrance. Her son moved in and began paying a modest rent, less than the local market rate, but enough to provide consistent monthly support. Golden ADU's commitment to accessibility, transparency, and tailored service helped Cynthia achieve a long-standing dream without financial strain. 'They didn't just build me a unit,' she noted. 'They gave me peace of mind, independence, and a future.' Golden ADU continues to serve homeowners across Los Angeles by offering city-approved ADU solutions with a streamlined process, from free onsite evaluations to the final completion. Their mission is to make ADUs achievable for homeowners looking to generate income, accommodate family members, or increase long-term property value. For more information, please visit: Find us at Follow Golden ADU on Social Media. Instagram: YouTube: Media Contact Company Name: Golden ADU Contact Person: Jordan Shm Email: Send Email City: Los Angeles State: California Country: United States Website:
