Kingston City Council has approved the sale of a 1.18-acre piece of city-owned land at 367 Gore Road to Brauer Homes for just one dollar, in exchange for a commitment to build five affordable rental units.
The market value of the land is assessed at $1.2 million, but the deal means the developer will provide five of the 40 planned units as affordable rentals, secured for at least 25 years. The overall project includes 10 triplexes totalling 30 units and 10 additional residential units, often called pods.
Brauer Homes must meet clear timelines: at least eight units, including two affordable ones, must be built within one year of closing, and the remainder of the development must be substantially complete within two years. If those dates are missed, the city has the right to buy back the land.
Off-site servicing work for the property is already underway, paid for through the city’s Housing Accelerator Fund allocation. Council approved that infrastructure spending back in September 2024. The federal government gave Kingston $27.6 million through the fund in January 2024 to help fast-track 890 new homes over three years.
A motion to delay the decision until 2027, to possibly add more affordable units and get updated environmental mapping of nearby Butternut Creek, was defeated by a vote of 10 to 2. Councillors who voted against the delay said the need for affordable housing is urgent, and the project will also bring in property taxes.
The development site sits next to Butternut Creek, a Provincially Significant Wetland, which limits the buildable space to just 1.18 acres of the 3.3-acre property.
