Facing stiff opposition, London building owner withdraws homeless hub proposal in city's south

A London property owner has withdrawn his proposal to bring a homeless support hub near the intersection of Wellington and Southdale Roads after pushback from people living in the surrounding area.

The announcement came Wednesday before council's Planning and Environment Committee voted to allow Ross Rains to turn the building into a commercial plaza, but stopped short of including a provision that critics said could open the door to it being used as a hub.

But even before the vote, Rains said he had abandoned his earlier hopes to host a hub.

"We have turned the page on hub use and are pursuing other uses [for the property]," said Rains, the owner of Olde School Professional Properties Inc. In an email to CBC News Wednesday, Rains said he was "not pursuing hub use any longer."

Rains had announced his intentions in April, to convert the vacant building at 743 Wellington Road, which once was a radio station, into a building for possible mixed commercial use, including medical labs, daycare, financial services and, most contentiously, a homeless hub — a kind of support facility for the city's homeless. 

Rains gave the city a July 1 deadline to approve what he hoped would become the third hub of its kind in London.

Since then, Rains has met with intense pushback, including two petitions sent to city hall with a total of 1,381 signatures.

That public pushback was on display in council chambers on Wednesday, with neighbours expressing concerns over safety, and skepticism over whether a hub would effectively address homelessness.

Londoner Cindy Williams said she'd never seen people in the neighbourhood come together to oppose something in such a strong way.

Addressing the meeting on Wednesday, Rains criticized the city's "sputtering vision for the homeless," adding, that the lack of leadership from city hall helped him to reconsider his offer — and he hopes it gets people talking.  

"We have two hopes. First, that the needs of the homeless, which are still in crisis, will become a kitchen table conversation across London," Rains said.

"Second, that private property owners and businesses will be given clear signals on how to participate in the hub plan."

Elizabeth Peloza, the city councillor whose ward encompasses Rains's property, has vocally opposed his homeless hub in the past.

At Wednesday's meeting, she acknowledged Rains is one of the few property owners in the city who has offered a property to the homeless cause.

"Not many people are stepping forward [to host hubs]. I think how we handle this process will set the stage for potential partners coming forward," Peloza said, adding that in not allowing the building to house an emergency care establishment, city hall "would be sending a signal to the community at large ... that we don't believe in our own plan."

Members of the public and some councillors expressed concerns Wednesday that hubs since fall under the umbrella of emergency care establishments, the door would still be open for a hub on the property.

According to the city's official homelessness response plan, "hubs should be established within areas that have existing emergency care establishment zoning."

In the end, the committee voted 4-to-1 to allow Rains to turn the building into a commercial plaza, but would not permit emergency care on the property. 

Council will make a final decision on Rains's application during their next full meeting.