A concept proposal was even created in 2017 and included plans for a nine-storey building to be located on the west corner of the school’s property. Photo Credit: Lake Avenue School/X.
Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) trustees have voted to revive an affordable housing project on land that is part of Lake Avenue Elementary School’s property.
Lake Avenue School is located at the corner of Lake Avenue North and Delawana Drive in Stoney Creek’s Riverdale West neighbourhood.
A motion to revive the concept was brought forward at a recent board meeting by Trustee Todd White (Wards 5 & 10 – Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) and was passed unanimously by the board.
The idea was actually part of a previous initiative that never ended up being fully realized.
The City of Hamilton and HWDSB began a joint community hub initiative back in 2015 with the plan to incorporate affordable housing units on Lake Avenue School property as part of the expansion of the Dominic Agostino Recreation Centre.
A concept proposal was even created in 2017 and included plans for a nine-storey building to be located on the west corner of the school’s property.
The building would have seen the first two floors reserved for a food bank, health centre, and community kitchen.
But the project was reportedly “abandoned” in 2022 “due to turnover at both HWDSB and the City of Hamilton, combined with pressures of the pandemic and the absence of Ministry approvals,” said White in his motion.
However, since then, White says that the City of Hamilton has expressed a “renewed interest” in a Lake Avenue community hub.
Thus, there is renewed confidence that now is the time for the plan to finally go through.
White’s motion called for HWDSB to renew discussions with both the City of Hamilton and the provincial Ministry of Education to “explore the opportunity for the City to build affordable housing on the Lake Avenue School site.”
The motion also called for the project to be “at no incremental cost to the Board” as per the previous plan.
According to the HWDSB website, Lake Avenue School is one of the largest public elementary schools in their board.
It does not appear as though the affordable housing project would interfere with the school’s operations, but simply use part of its available land.
Additionally, it appears as though the affordable housing would be reserved for seniors as per the 2017 proposal.
Under the previous proposal, the top seven floors of the building were to feature a total of 48 apartment units, a rec room, and a rooftop terrace.
The estimated cost for the building back in 2017 was pegged at $9.6 million.
In addition to the unanimous support of board trustees, Ward 5 Councillor Matt Francis has also expressed that he is in favour of the proposal.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
