Once the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre is finished in the summer of 2024, the nearly 80-year-old Bracebridge Memorial Arena will be decommissioned and demolished. While a timeline for that happening hasn’t been released, Bracebridge council has started discussing what could be done with the land at 169 James St.
The first idea comes from The Muskoka Community Land Trust (MCLT) who joined the town’s General Committee Tuesday.
The proposed two-phase project would see the creation of two structures, each with 10 townhouses. The homes would be two storeys with two to three bedrooms and a driveway. The second phase, which would happen on additional lands, would see a purpose-built, four-level multi-unit residential/commercial building erected with ground-floor accessible residential units.
Suzanne Martineau, Chair of MCLT, explained the micro-community with pathways, shared gardens, areas for dogs, and “various aspects that bring people together in a shared space.”
There would be 50 or more units available.
Martineau spoke to committee alongside Christopher Jordan-Stevens and Ben Jardin. They explained for the project to go forward they would need a handful of things from the town and district. Martineau said that includes a land grant from the town and being freed from paying certain fees to help keep the project affordable.
How does a land trust work? Martineau says the homes are made affordable thanks to the land it’s on being donated as well as through various subsidies and grants.
According to Martineau, data collected by MCLT shows the average household income in Muskoka is $85,000, based on 2021 data. Based on that, she says the average person in Muskoka can afford a home worth around $255,000. “They don’t exist,” said Martineau.
She explains that housing is considered unaffordable if it costs over 30 percent of a person’s gross income. Martineau says they would target first-time home buyers, seniors, single-parent families, and downtown employees.
The presentation was for information only, so no motion was passed. However, the committee was interested in the idea.
“The opportunities that a community has to reshape key areas of our town don’t come very often,” said Mayor Rick Maloney, adding that the idea is “more than just food for thought.”
Coun. Don Smith added that the issue of housing, specifically affordable housing, has been growing for years and was amplified over the past few thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stephen Rettie, Bracebridge’s Chief Administrative Officer, said town staff are looking at how the arena site will be developed once it’s demolished. However, he pointed out that there are parts of the area surrounding the area lands that aren’t town-owned, which could make future development challenging.
