Housing projects on the front burner for city: CAO

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Meeting Saint John’s housing targets is the top project for the city this year, its CAO said.

The city has identified 41 strategic initiatives for 2024, Brent McGovern told council recently, a “work plan” that allows him to focus his attention on the “key priorities” that matter most. Those include a wide range of topics like the redevelopment of Fundy Quay, partnering with the province on two new schools and a recreation facility in East Saint John.

But the big focus, he said, will be on housing, and the city’s commitments as part of its $9.18 million federal Housing Accelerator Fund agreement with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced in January.

“Obviously our big project is housing. While it’s a shared responsibility with other levels of government, it’s important that we move forward our component,” he told Brunswick News. 

Seven of the projects involve housing, homelessness and development, including the city’s HAF plan, an eight-pronged strategy that requires 1,124 new housing units over three years, with nine per cent designated as affordable units. In January, the city said the first of those initiatives would roll out this spring.

At the meeting, McGovern said things are progressing on affordable housing, with talks continuing on the 39-unit Barrack Green Residence project developed by Kaleidoscope Social Impact.

McGovern told councillors the city is working with the developer and the CMHC as they work to satisfy “various project requirements” and that the developer is looking at securing a general contractor with a tentative start date of this month.

Coun. Brent Harris asked how the city would determine “affordable units” in the housing accelerator plan, and how to monitor whether affordable units are achieved.

Housing manager Andrew Reid said that there have been “ongoing discussions” in how to report affordable units, and the definition of that is up to the city.

He said the city uses a shelter-to-income ratio, meaning that shelter should not exceed 30 per cent of a person’s income. But the city is working with developers on what funding they’re getting from other levels of government, which may have their own requirements.

“We’ll be working closely with those other levels of government, sharing information to ensure that we’re meeting our targets and hopefully exceeding them, because nine per cent is is lower than the target we set for ourselves,” Reid said.

Growth commissioner Amy Poffenroth also said the city is looking at ways to track whether affordable housing promises are met by developers, as well as investigating the federal government’s announcement of a $6 billion housing infrastructure fund April 2. 

Other housing initiatives include plans to release a “Housing for All” policy, containing recommendations as part of the city’s response to homelessness, by the end of May 2024, handover of the Fundy Quay site to developers in 2024 and an annual developer symposium held in March.

When Coun. Paula Radwan asked about work on a housing entity, Reid said they’re working on contracting for a study to determine what that entity might look like and what options are available.

The strategic initiatives include “catalytic growth” projects, service area-specific projects and capital projects, McGovern said, and with a number of complex initiatives on the table, it’s important to prioritize and focus the city’s resources.

“I think it was pretty comprehensive and I think it gives people an idea of where we’re headed in the city,” Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie told Brunswick News. “It shows how forward-thinking we are.”

Work continues on a “comprehensive recreation facility,” with McGovern telling the meeting the regional service commission completed a needs assessment for an arena replacement and shared it with the province. In 2023, the city approved $230,000 in preliminary work on developing the facility concept.

“We really need to land on a site, we’ve not fully done that yet. In addition to that, we need to look at a funding opportunity,” McGovern told Brunswick News, saying they have a “path forward” with the province but they’re looking for federal funding options.

Implementation of the City Market Strategic Plan is underway, he said, with capital and governance work set for this year. The city is also looking to pedestrianize South Market Street as part of reconstruction work, with McGovern telling Brunswick News that the city is responsible for part of the street, with the rest falling to the developer of 99 King St., which he’s “hopeful will get off the ground this year.”

99 King St. developer Percy Wilbur confirmed to Brunswick News that they’re hoping to start work this year on the project, which has stalled since demolition of the former Woolworths building in 2021. Wilbur said with high construction costs, he’s hoping for sales tax waivers from the province to help the project to proceed.

“We are close but still need a stakeholder … to buy in,” Wilbur said.

Council voted to form a new non-profit to manage the city’s industrial parks, with members appointed by the city, similar to work on incorporating Saint John Energy.  McGovern also said the city is working with the province for planning, parking, engineering and infrastructure support for schools in the south end and north end, as well as attached community hubs.

The strategic initiatives also include a parking study, a 10-year capital plan, a 10-year water utility financial plan and a 10-year HR strategy.

The city is also looking to implement an asset management information system, a plan for community support of East Saint John, the Saint John Fire strategic plan, a diversity, equity and inclusion policy for city workers, and take on anti-racism initiatives to attract newcomers.

There’s also initiatives to complete a management services contract for the trade and convention centre, enhance security at City Hall, to do an audit on its Market Square contract, and to finish contract negotiations with firefighters.

With files from Emma McPhee