More than 100 affordable rental units are coming to Barrie’s north end as SkyDev advances construction of the Skyline towers.
Located at 26 Grove St. W., the development includes the completed 25-storey Tower A, the nearly finished 29-storey Tower B and the newly launched 34-storey Tower C, which the City of Barrie and SkyDev announced recently.
Once complete, the three-tower development will provide 930 purpose-built rental apartments, including 105 affordable housing units. Tower C will add 365 apartments, 73 of which will be designated as affordable through the City of Barrie’s development charge deferral program.
Mayor Alex Nuttall said increasing the supply of purpose-built rental housing is key to improving affordability in the city.
“We’ve been amongst the highest rents in the country for years – at one point, we were the second highest in the country, and by bringing these units to market, we’re able to help Barrie families get great housing,” he said.
Exploring affordable housing through the private sector
Nuttall said council has made affordable housing a priority but added that partnerships with the private sector are essential to delivering new homes.
“One of the biggest challenges facing our city is affordability,” he said.
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“Too many residents are working hard, raising families and contributing to our city, but are struggling to find a home they can afford, and that’s why council has made affordable housing a priority in the City of Barrie. Government can’t build housing alone,” Nuttall said. “Our role is to create the conditions for our partners to build homes faster and to work with those partners to deliver solutions that make a real difference for our residents.”
Barrie is supporting the project through its housing incentive programs, which are intended to encourage the construction of affordable housing as part of new residential developments.
City officials say the development reflects Barrie’s broader strategy to increase the housing supply while expanding access to affordable homes for residents.
