A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for a much-needed apartment development in Chatham.
The ceremony was held on Thursday and was attended by President Rob Piroli, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, local MPP Rick Nicholls, and Mayor Darrin Canniff.
The municipality said the Piroli Group apartment construction at 460 Park Ave. W in Chatham is well underway and is on track. The project sits on 6.5 acres and will feature two six-story apartment buildings with 122 units in each building. Bruce McAllister, director of planning services, previously said the apartments would be 80 per cent one-bedroom units and 20 per cent two-bedroom units.
McCallister assured concerned residents the apartments would come with 306 parking spaces, leaving 62 extra spaces for visitors and apartment residents. He added that there won't be a need for overflow parking on nearby streets. McCallister also said the development would be market rent, not geared to income or low-income housing, which was a concern many residents had, citing an increase in neighbourhood crime.
