A nearly $10-million project will revitalize a local church, create affordable housing and well a new Youth Services Hub in Kingston.
Home Base Housing and the Princess Street United Church revealed the plans last week for the development that includes a six-storey tower for housing, a renovated Vatcher Hall for One Roof, Kingston Youth Services Hub, performing and visual arts centre and a cafe and skills training centre on the church site at the corner of Princess and Albert streets.
Princess Street United Church donated a portion of the church building and property valued at $1.5 million. According to a media release, trustees of the church approached the not-for-profit last summer to see if they were interested in their property for some “social good.”
The congregation plans to continue using a portion of the church for services for the next 10 years, but most of the property will be used by Home Base Housing if the project is approved.
A new building will be used the Home Base Housing’s One Roof program along with a “youth hub” providing services to homeless and vulnerable youth.
The proposal includes a space that could potentially offer up to 60 units of transitional and supportive housing for youth in the Kingston region. In addition, the building will provide space for 27 youth-serving organizations.
“It is our hope that, in addition to the 27 other youth-serving organizations that deliver services through the One Roof program, other youth-serving agencies will permanently co-locate with us at this site,” Tom Greening, Executive Director of Home Base Housing said in a news release.
The project has the support of all three levels of government and needs final approval from Kingston city council.
“We have met with the city to develop our plans for the site and are pleased with our progress and support,” Greening said.
Development will be completed in several phases, first by relocating One Roof Youth Services Hub, which provides access to nearly 30 youth-focused services, from Barrie Street to the new site, which is anticipated to be done by the end of the year.
