Finnish Resthome expansion plans get Council support
With a clear need for more residences for seniors in Sault Ste. Marie, City Council gave its support (in three different motions passed at its regular meeting Monday) to the Ontario Finnish Resthome Association’s plans for expansion.
Ontario Finnish Resthome Association (OFRA) Chair Todd Slotegraaf presented the Association’s multi-faceted plan to Council, which, when complete, would add 171 new, additional senior accommodations to the community.
Total cost for the expansion plans is estimated to be $31 million.
The first phase will consist of a five-storey building consisting of 81 independent living units.
52 of those units would be one bedroom units, the other 29 two-bedroom units.
Slotegraaf said there are currently over 120 applicants on a waiting list for those new spaces.
The cost for the first phase comes in at $16.4 million, and Council agreed to OFRA’s request to provide a City staff report on the process and requirements to re-instate a municipal tax increment rebate program for new rental housing, previously provided for the downtown area.
That means municipal property taxes would be phased in on the new OFRA property over a specific period of time.
“It’s huge,” Slotegraaf told reporters.
“Without the reinstatement of that program we would not be able to build the independent living building,” though it is not yet known how much of a rebate OFRA will receive, nor for how long.
Council also agreed to approve, in accordance with the City’s Cycling Master Plan, construction of a Hub Trail spoke through the OFRA property, from North Street to the Fort Creek section of the Hub Trail, to provide a safe and scenic alternative to Second Line East for bicyclists.
OFRA supports the development of the spoke through the Resthome property.
City staff has been directed to work with OFRA in seeking funding sources for construction of the spoke.
In a third motion, Council gave its support to OFRA’s application to the Northeast LHIN for 50 long-term nursing home beds.
Slotegraaf explained that OFRA’s expansion plans consist not only of the 81 independent living units (with construction hopefully beginning in spring 2014), but also 50 long-term care nursing home beds (pending approval by the Northeast LHIN) and 40 assisted living units for high risk seniors.
A $4 million fundraising effort, Slotegraaf told reporters, is currently underway for the 81-unit independent living component, the total cost for that phase being $16 million. The remainder will be obtained through a loan. Approximately $340,000 has been raised so far.
Provincial funding for the other two phases is expected to be much easier to access.
OFRA states the increase in accommodations, added to its current number of independent living, assisted living and long-term care beds, will bring the total of OFRA senior homes and support services to 471.
