Downtown Housing Project

The Downtown Housing Project is an innovative community-owned and operated housing development that prioritizes affordability, sustainability and inclusivity. Golden CED has been working with the Town of Golden for several years to identify an appropriate Town-owned site for the development. 

In 2022, Golden CED and the Town of Golden determined that the property at 525 & 527 9th Avenue North was best suited for this purpose, supporting the OCP that outlines goals for residential and multi-family development as well as prioritizing mixed-use commercial development downtown. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in December 2022, outlining the intention for the Town to sell the land to Golden CED for the development and operation of affordable housing. 

Since then, Golden CED has been able to secure funding and complete due diligence and early design work on the site. 

The vision for this project is to provide 27 residential units, including a mix of one-bedroom and two‐bedroom apartments, as well as commercial/retail units on the main floor.  The proposed development addresses key gaps identified by the Housing Needs Assessment performed for  the Town and CSRD Area A in 2021. It serves the community by increasing affordable rental housing and supporting housing diversity near community amenities and services. The commercial spaces will act as a social enterprise for Golden CED to support their work in continuing to develop and operate affordable rental housing in the Town of Golden. This development will contribute to the revitalization of the historic downtown core with new homes for residents and an increase in business opportunities.

1. FUNDING AND PROGRAM DETAILS

Q1.1: Who will live in the residential units?

A1.1: This project will provide 27 rental units at a range of rental rates to support individuals and families of varying income levels. The project provides a mix of 1- and 2-bedroom apartments. The intention of this development is to support attainable housing options for individuals and families living and working in Golden.

With all its housing work, Golden CED prioritizes the development and operation of housing for local and long-term residents of Golden.

Q1.2: Is this supportive housing?

A1.2: No. This housing development is for those who can live independently, as one would in regular market rentals.

Q1.3: How is the project funded?

A1.3: To fund the residential portion of this development, Golden CED successfully applied to BC Housing’s 2023 Community Housing Fund proposal call. This was a highly competitive province-wide funding call, only 13 projects were awarded in the BC Housing Interior Region. The project will also be supported by Columbia Basin Trust. We are grateful for our funder support.

The commercial spaces are not funded through these grants. See below for additional information on Commercial Spaces.

Q1.4: What will the rental rates be? Who is eligible?

A1.4: The rental rates for residential units will align with the Community Housing Fund requirements. Households earning up to the Maximum Household Income limits will be eligible for these units (see table below). These income thresholds are subject to change and are updated annually by BC Housing. Rents will be finalized closer to project completion.

More information on the program, including rent criteria, eligibility and income limits can be found on the BC Housing website.

Q1.5: How many people can live in each unit?

A1.5: BC Housing uses National Occupancy Standards to determine what size of unit a household can apply for, with some exceptions and flexibility based on community need.

1. There shall be no more than 2 or less than 1 person per bedroom.
2. Spouses and couples share a bedroom.
3. Parents do not share a bedroom with children.
4. Dependants aged 18 or more do not share a bedroom.
5. Dependants aged 5 or more of opposite sex do not share a bedroom.

For more information on National Occupancy Standards and how they are applied to subsidized units please visit: Subsidized Housing | BC Housing.

Q1.6: How do I apply for a rental unit?

A1.6: Complete this survey so we can contact you about updates on the progress of this development and when we will accept rental applications. Otherwise, keep an eye out for updates on our website.

Q1.7: What happens when the rental units are all full?

A1.7: We will have a waitlist for pre-approved applicants matched to specific unit size and design. More details will come once the application process is open.

2. PROJECT SITE

Q2.1: Is it possible to change the project site?

A2.1: It would be very challenging to change project site at this point in the project. Golden CED has already invested significant funds doing site due diligence, design work and submitting funding applications for this site. This is work that cannot be transferred and would need to be initiated again on a new site, adding significant cost and creating major project delays.

BC Housing has awarded this project based on the proposed site and design. This award was through a highly competitive province-wide procurement process, changing sites would be considered a significant change to the proposal which was competitively evaluated and unfair to other proposal applicants. If a site change were made, Golden CED would lose the BC Housing funding and would need to submit a new proposal in the next round of BC Housing funding – the date for which has not yet been announced but anticipated well into 2025. This is not a feasible option for the project, creating significant risk for the project and setting progress back by several years.

Q2.2: How was this site selected?

A2.2: In the Fall of 2022, Council directed staff to investigate locations for
affordable housing development in the Town of Golden. Five different sites were selected based on location, proximity to service areas and potential eligibility for senior government funding. The current site at 525 & 527 9th Ave N was included in this investigation. The Investigation included a review of downtown parking, historical height precedents, environmental hazards, and alignment with OCP, Bylaws and existing legislation. The briefing note prepared by Town Staff is available on the Town’s website here: Regular Council -20 December 2022 – Agenda.

In 2022, Golden CED and the Town of Golden signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU), outlining the intention for the Town to sell the property at 525 & 527 9th Ave N to Golden CED for the development and operation of affordable housing.

Since then, Golden CED has been working to secure funding and complete initial due diligence and early design work on the site.

3. BUILDING DETAILS

Q3.1: Are there accessible units in the building?

A3.1: Yes, the design includes 3 universally accessible units. In addition, all units will be designed so that one can easily get around the layout if using a wheelchair or other mobility device.

Q3.2: Is there residential parking available?

A3.2: Yes, the building will have a parking lot accessible via the back laneway. Due to site constraints, there is not enough parking for every unit to have its own parking stall. Our goal is to encourage people to live without personal vehicles and there is no better location in Golden to introduce this lifestyle option.

Golden CED will explore shared parking agreements with neighboring businesses to maximize spaces during alternating periods of demand for commercial and residential purposes.

Parking reductions are extremely common in affordable housing projects. We are not proposing a reduction that isn’t typical across the rest of the Province.

Q3.3: What will the exterior look like?

A3.3: The building design is not yet finalized, the look and feel of the project are still in progress. Initial designs were developed to determine what type of residential and commercial units would fit on the site in support of a rezoning application.

Now that a rezoning application has been submitted and we received confirmation of funding, we are working to refine the design to align with the Town’s design guidelines and ensure the building fits well within the Historic Downtown.

A Development Permit Application update will be submitted to the Town of Golden for review and approval of the form and character in alignment with the Town’s design guidelines at a later date.

Q3.4: Will added height create additional shading?

A3.4: Additional height on the project site will not significantly increase shade impacts on surrounding properties. Preliminary shading studies conducted by Town Staff and a shading analysis provided by the project architect indicate a relatively small impact of the proposed building on shading compared to current conditions.

Q3.5: How tall will the building be?

A3.5: Based on Community feedback and concerns, the project team is exploring options to reduce the overall height of the building.

The design submitted with the re-zoning package was 16.8 metres. Based on concerns heard from the community, the design team is currently working to refine building designs and has been able to reduce the height. More details on the height will be available with the next iteration of the building design.

Q3.6: Will the development have green spaces?

A3.6: The current design includes 90.6 square meters of private outdoor space, and tenants will have access to a public green space between it and the existing DJ’s Paper Place Building:

• The green space is currently envisioned as an art park that blends the two neighboring properties with landscaping and public art, including emphasizing the artwork currently on the DJ’s building.
• The new building will also have a private ground-level courtyard for residents that will only be accessible from inside the building.

Q3.7: Will the building have balconies?

A3.7: We cannot build balconies on 2 sides of the building because of the BC Hydro setback requirements.

Update: We are exploring options to add additional outdoor space such as larger common balconies on each floor and Juliet balconies provide connection to the outdoors, as well as create visual interest along the 9th Avenue corridor.

4. COMMERCIAL UNITS

Q4.1: Will there be commercial spaces on the ground floor?

A4.1: The ground floor of the building will have approximately 200 square meters of commercial space. The initial design includes five small commercial units.

Golden CED will rent the commercial units at market rates as a social enterprise to continue to expand the affordable housing program in Golden.

The commercial spaces will also contribute to a vibrant and active downtown core, with smaller commercial spaces that are suitable to a variety of business types and offer space for more businesses to serve locals and visitors in a high visibility area of our downtown core.

Q4.2: I’m interested in renting a commercial space. How do I find out more about these units?

A4.2: Complete this survey so we can contact you when the commercial units will be ready for rent and how to apply.

Q4.3: How are the commercial units funded?

A4.3: The commercial portion of the building will operate separately from the residential floors above. Golden CED has applied for and received grant contributions through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDI). These funds will contribute to a portion of the construction costs for the commercial spaces. The remainder of the costs will be contributed by Golden CED.

5. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Q5.1: Will there be public engagement for this development?

A5.1: Leading up to the submission of the BC Housing funding application, Golden CED has provided social media updates on the intention to pursue an affordable housing project at 525 & 527 9th Ave N. With the signing of the MOU in 2022, the Town of Golden and Golden CED issued a joint press release on January 3, 2023, announcing this proposal.

Town of Golden and Golden Community Economic Development partner on land for affordable housing | Town of Golden

Until very recently, funding for this project was not confirmed and resources limited. With confirmation of funds from BC Housing, Golden CED is now able to proceed with advancing the designs, and hosting community information sessions for the project.

We are planning the following opportunities:

• When the building design is more complete, we will host public engagement sessions with the community where we will share draft images of the exterior of the building, timelines for the project, process for accepting applications for the rentals (commercial and residential) and answer any other questions people may have.
• Golden CED will soon be soliciting community feedback as part of our naming convention process for the new building. We hope you will participate!

Update: Golden CED will be hosting a community Open House in in the evening of July 23rd, in advance of the August 20th Council Meeting. Please stay tuned for event details.

Q5.2: How can I show my support for this project?

A5.2: We need Town approval of our development permit application, rezoning and variances in order to proceed with this building. 

If you are supportive of this project, we encourage you to write to the Town Council and share your voice of support. Emails should be submitted to clerk@golden.ca by August 15, 2024 at noon.

Q5.3: How do I find out more about the approval process?

A5.3: The full application as well as staff report for the rezoning request are available on the Town of Golden’s website: Regular Council – 21 May 2024 – Agenda. The Town of Golden staff report and supporting documents for the rezoning from the subsequent meeting are available here: Regular Council – 18 Jun 2024.

6. CONSTRUCTION

Q6.1: When will the construction begin?

A6.1: We are currently in the early stages of design with a rezoning request submitted to the Town of Golden in November of 2023. The requested rezoning will allow for sufficient density to develop a viable and affordable rental housing project. The project was selected to move forward in the Community Housing Funding Program administered by BC Housing and is ready to proceed with a more fulsome design process once rezoning is approved.

We are getting ready to release our RFP to hire our construction manager and builder. The project team is hoping to move towards a construction start in the Spring of 2025, subject to municipal and funder approval timelines.

If you are a local builder that would like to receive the RFP, please reach out to us at info@goldenced.ca.

Q6.2: How will construction impact be managed?

A6.2: As the design and project progress, Golden CED will be bringing on a construction manager to support us in mapping out a site use plan during construction as well as a plan for construction parking that will minimize disruption. This will be a discussion with Town Staff, the Construction Team and Golden CED to manage impact on the community during construction.  The construction period is anticipated to be ~18 months, updates on construction timelines will be provided as we get closer to breaking ground.

Golden CED will make regular updates to the surrounding businesses and will also update this page as the project progresses.

Would you like to know more about our other housing initiatives?