By Katherine Bitzer
Published September 2023
On August 28, about 100 people gathered at 97 Victoria Street for the official groundbreaking ceremony for our Making Home project. The event was a celebration of the many partners who have come together to make this project possible: government, corporate and community donors and supporters, as well as design and construction partners.
Under sunny skies, words of support and encouragement for this project were shared by local politicians: MP Mike Morrice, MP Bardish Chagger, Regional Chair Karen Redman and Mayor of Kitchener Berry Vrbanovic. Jim Hallman, Chair of the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation also spoke to affirm his support of this project, and to recognize all those who have generously donated so far. The event was hosted by Craig Beattie, CEO of Perimeter Development, a true champion of this project, who has been with us every step of the way.
The groundbreaking ceremony gave us opportunity to celebrate the $9.8 million dollars in federal funding, received under the Rapid Housing Initiative-3 Cities Stream, to enable the construction of the 44 new units of supportive housing for this project.
The community’s financial support of this project must be mentioned here as well. To date, over $6 million dollars has been raised, and we have been heartened by major commitments from:
Lyle S. Hallman Foundation
Perimeter Development Corporation
Auburn Developments
The Savvas Chamberlain Family Foundation
A big thank you to everyone who has donated to Making Home – we appreciate and respect the generosity of all people who share with us to make our work possible.
First conceived as a response to homelessness in the community, the Making Home project will fully transform the site at 97 Victoria Street. As described by our architects (BNKC): “The new design builds on the good work already happening and develops the site to its full potential”.
The existing heritage building – long the home of St. John’s Kitchen and Worth a Second Look furniture store – will have a new 3rd floor addition built on top to create 22 units of supportive housing. The 2nd floor will be completely renovated to create an additional 22 units of supportive housing, and the ground floor will be transformed into a medical clinic and public-access washrooms, showers and laundry facilities. A ground floor addition will also be built out from the west side of the building to create a bright and dynamic community centre that will be the new home of St. John’s Kitchen. A central feature for both residents and guests of 97 Victoria Street will be a beautifully designed and accessible courtyard. In short, we’re building an integrated campus that combines housing, community, healthcare, meal service, and access to a wide range of wrap-around supports.
To make this transformation possible, Worth a Second Look (WASL) furniture store is relocating to 37 Market Lane, Recycle Cycles is relocating to 256 King Street East, and St. John’s Kitchen will be sharing space with St. John’s Anglican Church during construction.
Much background work has been happening over the summer months as we move towards site plan approval and the issuance of our building permit. In addition, construction tendering is well under way. We remain grateful to our key partners who continue to support us and drive this project forward with their commitment, skills and expertise: Perimeter Development, BNKC Architects and Govan Brown.
As the construction phase begins this fall, you will see a fence go up around 97 Victoria Street and some initial site preparation before we begin to build the 3rd floor addition, followed by the community centre.
Many people have come together to bring this vision to a reality, and we still need your support. We are re-launching our capital campaign with a fundraising goal of $3 million dollars. Please join us in creating a welcoming and inclusive space where the most vulnerable in our community – who are housed or unhoused – can find community connections, resources and meaningful involvement.
Find out more about the project at: 97victoria.theworkingcentre.org
