Heritage to housing: Non-profit group wants to build micro dwellings in downtown St. John's
Raising the Roof proposed to build 34 small housing units at 275 Duckworth Street
A vacant downtown St. John's building could soon turn into over 30 living spaces.
National non-profit group Raising the Roof is eyeing 275 Duckworth St., and a discretionary use application proposed to the city says it's hoping to build 34 micro dwelling units inside.
Raising the Roof executive director Sheldon Pollett describes a micro dwelling as a small apartment that has all the amenities of independent living. He says they can range from 300-500 square feet.
Pollett said renovating a vacant building for the purpose of affordable housing is similar to trends across the country.
"Building new construction housing units is part of the equation, but so is reclaiming existing spaces," he told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.
The building on Duckworth Street has a storied history — it was designated as a heritage structure by the city in 1989.
It was originally built for the Newfoundland Clothing Company in 1911, according to the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. Years later, in 1956, the Evening Telegram took over the factory.
The concrete downtown building has seen many different tenants since; including what was previously known as CompuCollege, and the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador.
It's been vacant since the craft council moved out in 2021, and Pollett's team wants to change that.
Why go micro?
The executive director said Raising the Roof plans on making the proposed micro dwelling units "moderate to deeply affordable," if approved.
"We all want to make sure that we're addressing the needs of the folks who need, you know, deeply affordable housing," said Pollett. "But it also depends on the math of the building."
That would come down to various provincial and federal housing and funding programs, he said, but the non-profit also has several philanthropic partners.
Pollett said there are many different kinds of people in need of affordable housing, but this project focuses on single individuals.
That's one reason why the group is trying to soak up all the space it can get, as housing waitlists grow longer, he said. The non-profit proposed to develop five floors of the building.
"We want to get as many units in there as possible," Pollett said.
Raising the Roof has already built 69 units in Ontario and Manitoba, providing 155 people with stable and affordable housing, according to its website.
Pollett hopes to get started on the St. John's project within the next 10 months.
The city council is accepting comments on the proposal until May 27, and will make a decision by June 3.
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With files from The St. John's Morning Show