CANMORE – Canmore Community Housing Corporation is looking for a builder to partner on a new project in the Peaks of Grassi neighbourhood – again.
A second request for proposals was put out in April by the municipally owned CCHC and managing director Dougal Forteath said a previous process to engage a builder fell short as it overlapped the beginning of the COVID-19 public health crisis.
"We have had some additional interest over and above what we heard last time," Forteath said at CCHC's May board meeting. "All in all, the interest has been there and I would say it is a little higher than last time."
The RFP deadline was May 29 and CCHC received 12 submissions. It is looking for a company that would design and build the proposed perpetually affordable housing project at 1100 Lawrence Grassi Ridge.
"We did not get as many [submissions] from the first request for proposals as we would have liked," said board member Todd Kunst. "We had good submissions, but we wanted more of a selection."
CCHC has also formed an advisory committee with residents of the neighbourhood to review the submissions and help review proposals for the 10-unit townhouse project.
"Later in June is the right time for us to have our discussion [as a board]," Dougal said.
All of the units are proposed at three bedrooms and the site is a direct control district under the Land Use Bylaw. The current CCHC policy for building perpetually affordable housing sets a limit on the cost for development at $275 per square foot.
CCHC is able to make a shortlist of three proponents for the project to provide more detailed design plans for consideration.
