SUDBURY -- A Sudbury developer is continuing work on a project to give people an affordable place to live and hoping to clear the next hurdle in January.
The lack of affordable housing has recently been making headlines in the city with many people having no choice but to live in shelters or outside.
Dario Zulich owns the Sudbury water tower and is donating the excess land around it, 1.6 hectares, for a development called the Peace Tower in honour of his friend, the late pastor of All Nations Church, Reverend Jeremy Mahood.
Zulich plans to build 38 one-bedroom units to offer affordable housing to those in need.
"At the end of the day, we all have to do something and all of us can do something, right? Whether it be an elephant or a little mouse, everyone can pull their own weight," Zulich said. "And I think that we all do at least something to make this world a better place, make it better after we leave than when we entered it."
The developer confirms community consultations are taking place right now and in the New Year, there will be a feasibility study.
"There is a whole market of people that are in need and we have to segment it if we can and choose a market that is most in need. And once we figure that out, then we can figure out what exactly to build and the kind of units and the kind of services we can offer," Zulich said.
City councillor Bob Kirwan welcomes the initiative to establish new, affordable housing.
"It's an ideal model for, hopefully, what we are going to see in the future. You've got 30 some people that are going to be living in this complex with some services on the first floor and those services are also going to be available to the people living around them. It's a perfect community hub model," Kirwan said.
An application to rezone the property goes before the city's planning committee Jan. 11. If all goes as planned, Zulich hopes to have the project complete in the spring of 2023.
