InvestStratford looking for locals’ ideas to turn vacant lands into housing

246 Railway Ave. is one of the properties investStratford hopes to activate as affordable or attainable housing.

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It is often said that to properly address the housing crisis in Canada, everyone and anyone will need to work together.

To that end, investStratford is looking for residents’ ideas on a number of properties scattered around Stratford.

“We're past the time where we can leave land sitting when we have the housing deficit that we have, both provincially, nationally and locally, right?” said Kendra Fry, housing specialist at investStratford. “And so, it's on us to come up with inventive solutions to our housing issues and try to create more opportunities to create more affordability within the Stratford area.

“The idea is to activate (the properties) for as much community benefit in the form of affordable or attainable housing. The City of Stratford, for the most part, is not in the habit of being its own developer. And so, the way to attract developers to build projects is either through an RFP or RFEOI process.”

A request for expressions of interest (RFEOI) is used to gather information and gauge interest on a project, different from a request for proposals (RFP), which is binding.

The properties investStratford is currently looking at developing are 161 East Gore St. and 38 Coriano St., both currently vacant lots, and 246 Railway Ave., a former hydro building that is currently used as storage by the city.

The idea for 246 Railway Ave. is to renovate the interior to create a two-bedroom accessible unit to be run by social services. As a more straightforward project, the city issued an RFP rather than RFEOI.

For the vacant lands, the city is looking for developers to bring forth their ideas for how to create fully affordable or mixed-market affordable, attainable housing.

“And it's up to them to define the form that they think best utilizes the space,” Fry said. “It could be townhouses, it could be row housing, it could be duplexes, it could be an apartment building, could be individual houses, could be little, tiny homes. It's really up to the various proponents to explain to us why their particular proposal best meets our needs.”

A committee will review the bidders based on a matrix of assessment that will be developed by outside advisors, but city council will ultimately adopt or reject the bids.

While there are currently three properties with requests attached, Fry said the work in identifying suitable lands is not done. More projects will be opened up in the near future.

Bids for the vacant lands are due on Feb. 21. Bids for 246 Railway Ave. will be received until Jan. 29. For more information, visit www.investstratford.com.