STATUS
Complete
LOCATION
Courtenay, BC
REGION
Vancouver Island
CLIENT
Wachiay Friendship Centre
PROJECT TEAM
MacDonald Hagarty Architects
Kinetic Construction
BUILDING SIZE
40 affordable housing units
Target Population
Urban Indigenous people
PROJECT COST
$12 million
COMPLETION DATE
March 2025
MDS provided development consulting services for the Wachiay Friendship Centre Society (WFC), who work to support the urban Indigenous population in Courtenay. The now finished affordable housing project is owned by the WFC and was built on land that they owned and used as a parking lot adjacent to the current Friendship Centre.
The housing development is a five-storey, wood frame building with a total of 40 studio and 1-bedroom units, including an indoor amenity space. Of the 32 one-bedroom units, 9 will are fully accessible, and the remaining 23 are adaptable to meet target tenant needs. MDS acted as the primary point of contact and owner’s representative throughout the development. MDS helped WFC procure a full design team and advance designs, successfully receive multiple sources of funding, prepare and receive re-zoning and the required development permits, and oversee construction and handover to WFC for operations.
The project was made financial feasible through funding from BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund, CMHC’s SEED and Co Investment programs, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund, and the Comox Valley Regional District’s Homelessness Support Service Funding. The project offers a range of affordability options from deeply subsidized and rent geared-to income to near market units.
MDS SERVICES OFFERED
- Site and land use planning
- Site due diligence
- Local government approvals
- Partnership development
- Funding applications, management and reporting
- Capital and operating budgets
- Procurement and consultant management
- Project management
