IROQUOIS – The biggest housing project in Iroquois, and all of South Dundas, since Seaway times is in the works.
A development that will bring 262 new residential units to the town, north County Road 2, behind the Tim Hortons and Iroquois Motel properties will be built by Ottawa-area developer Valecraft Homes.
Last week the company’s owners discussed their draft proposed community plan with The Leader.
Valecraft ownership partners Frank Nieuwkoop and Diane Brunet spoke about the residential development that will be located on 30 acres of land surrounding the existing Rooney Street and Billings Avenue residences.
The 262 residential units will be located within a mix of seven apartment buildings, a large number of single family homes, two dozen semi-detached duplexes and multiple townhomes with a total estimated value of $150 million.
Nieuwkoop, who has 28 years of real estate experience, said that he first looked at the Seaway-area for potential development about six or seven years ago but he didn’t see the growth happening necessary to support the type of community residential development they envisioned.
However, with the recent expansion of Ross Video, its staff identifying housing needs – and an opportunity to purchase a suitable property from Steve Merkley – Valecraft is now ready to start their Iroquois project.
Preliminarily named Merkley Oaks, the housing project, will be the farthest afield from the company’s Orleans homebase.
Nieuwkoop explained that Valecraft owns the land and are both developers and builders for this project.“Our plan is to use local trades along with our current trade partners to help employment in the area,” added Brunet.
“We are very excited to be coming to Iroquois,” she said, adding that they really like the good homey feeling of a small community, especially one that they will be part of for the next 6-7 years as the development takes place.
The Valecraft proposal will break ground when all the necessary approvals are in place.
“We should be able to start with services next summer,” said Nieuwkoop.
Already familiar with the town as a member of the Iroquois Golf Club for about 12 years, Nieuwkoop said that the streets in the new subdivision, like the existing Billings Street, will be named to honour the five firefighters who died in a 1981 collision with a CN train.
“We want to respect the community’s history,” said Brunet.
“When we come to a community we look at that community’s history because we want to be part of that history, not create a new history,” Nieuwkoop added. “We’re very proud of our homes.”
“We want to do it right,” said Brunet.
Valecraft has completed communities in Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven, Orleans and more. Their latest build is Place St. Thomas in Embrun.