BC Housing proposal to add to volume of housing along McKay Street corridor

One of a number of drawings available on line featuring
the proposed housing plans for McKay Street

Another solution to the affordable housing crisis in Prince Rupert  is being revealed this week, with BC Housing introducing its plan to build new housing on the current site of the Harbour View Gardens on McKay Street.

In an update posted to the BC Housing website the process of replacing the now forty year old units on the site of what BC Housing calls Lot 1 is explained, which if taken on and completed as proposed would create 192 affordable rental townhomes and apartments.

A major improvement to housing along McKay street is in the planning stages

That would make for a significant upgrade in the available housing stock for that corridor which currently is home to jus over 100 housing units. 

The additional housing would come through the placement of two apartment buildings of six and five storeys on the property to go along with a number of townhomes.

The full scope of the rezoning concept is included in this brochure: 

The timeline towards the project notes of current Tennant relocation sometime in 2022 with work on phase one to comment from 2022 to 2024. The goal is to have units available for those in the region as their turn comes up for relocation as the various phases of the project move forward.

As part of the process, BC Housing will be consulting with the neighbourhood before they approach the City of Prince Rupert with their Rezoning application, something that they anticipate doing moving into the summer. 

In their documentation on the BC Housing website, the process of community engagement is outlined with a current tenants session set for tomorrow evening, with residents having been advised of the meeting towards the end of May.  

While an Online Neighbourhood meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 8the from 6 to 7:30. 

BC Housing will be hosting the session by Zoom.

To register contact the organizers at: michael@liveablecityplanning.com

You can also make use of a comment form found at the bottom of this page as part of the engagement.

While the planning gets underway for the newest housing proposal, one from last year along the Kootenay Avenue corridor not to far to the west has still to show any signs of progress.

The land has been cleared along Kootenay Avenue, but so far no work
is underway to create replacement housing from those units torn down

Land was cleared in the early part of the year for the proposed housing along the north side of the avenue, though so far there has been no update as to when that project will get underway.

For more notes on housing in the community see our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.