St. Catharines
Property Type: Former Single-Family Home (Now Demolished)
Scope of Work: New Construction – 3-Storey, 9-Unit Apartment Building
Project Overview
This development involved demolishing an existing single-family home on a prominent corner lot in St. Catharines to make way for a brand-new 3-storey, 9-unit apartment building. Each unit was thoughtfully designed as a large 1-bedroom apartment, targeting both comfort and rental appeal. With a total above-grade area of approximately 5,500 sq. ft., this building was designed to maximize the site’s potential without triggering the requirement for an elevator, which would significantly impact both construction and long-term maintenance costs.
Scope & Strategy
- Designed a purpose-built 3-storey residential building with 9 large 1-bedroom units.
- Demolished the existing detached home to start fresh with new construction.
- Retained a local planner to manage the Site Plan Approval (SPA) process prior to Bill 23.
- Coordinated early input from city planning, external consultants, and utility agencies.
- Allocated the basement as a large open space with the potential for future unit additions (Phase 2).
- Integrated parking for all units despite the site’s small footprint and setback constraints.
- Navigated pre-Bill 23 Site Plan Approval requirements in a tightly regulated urban setting.
- Balanced parking requirements for 9 units while preserving green space and buildable area.
- Avoided elevator requirement by limiting height to 3 storeys—saving substantially on construction and maintenance.
- 9 rental units on a small urban lot—optimized for affordability and long-term yield.
- Strategically avoided additional OBC and zoning burdens through smart design choices.
- Designed for potential expansion with minimal structural modification in Phase 2.
Challenges Solved
Investor Benefits
Current Status
Site Plan Approval process initiated but currently on hold at investor’s request before formal submission was completed.
Ground-Up Development, Small Lot Optimization, Corner Build, New Construction, 3 Storey, 09Unit
