Spring Creek Mountain Village developer Frank Kernick is hoping Canmore council will write a letter of support for his proposal to the province to get grant funding for seniors housing.
Kernick was in front of council earlier this month after applying for money to build 40 affordable supportive living units as part of a seniors housing project in his subdivision as a joint venture with Origin Active Lifestyle Communities.
“I have been wanting to do something like this, to build some form of retirement community in Spring Creek,” he said. “Spring Creek will grow over the next 10 to 20 years and will see people age in place… from this building, we feel we can service the whole community.”
However, looking at the financials of providing a market for only a supportive living building did not work, said Kernick, and he needs economy of scale by providing provincially-funded spaces.
“This is the only way a private operator can do this,” he said, adding there will be no request to the Town for funding in the future.
Kernick proposes 104 units, with 40 of the units funded by the Province and filled through Alberta Health Services, and the remaining sold at market price.
Kernick said the Canmore market needs a mix of offerings for seniors that meets market demand. Currently, Bow Valley Regional Housing offers seniors housing units, however, they include income restrictions. Kernick said his proposal would fill the gap and provide that form of housing for those who have too much income for BVRH.
“This provides a full spectrum of housing needs at this time, except for what is being provided by Bow Valley Regional Housing,” he said.
BVRH provides level one and two care and has identified that levels three and four of supportive care are missing in the valley.
Speaking on behalf of Origin, Cindy Rota, general manager of the Whitehorn Village continuing care retirement community in Calgary, said the proposed building in Canmore would have three levels of units, including what is currently not available.
The project proposes independent condos, supportive living levels three and four, enhanced supportive living and a lockdown level four dementia unit.
The proposal is a joint venture, with 75 per cent belonging to SCMV and 25 to Origins and its owner Neil Prashad, who is a part-time resident of Canmore.
However, without provincial funding, Kernick said the project would become difficult to move ahead.
Two other projects have come forward in front of council for letters of support for provincial grant funding. BVRH is proposing an addition to its lodge to provide level three and four units and a private developer is proposing 66 supportive living units along Bow Valley Trial.
