Antigonish Affordable Housing has announced work on a new housing development is underway.

Local physician Amy Hendricks, and her husband Paul Davie donated nearly 20 hectares of land along Route 337, past Bethany and Parkland Antigonish, to the housing society. A release from AAHS states seven hectares are highly suitable for housing and the society is in the early stages of planning a new community they will name Sugarloaf.

The goal is build 50 plus apartments in a first phase, and then possibly up to another 100 units over several years. The society contracted a property development firm to provide expertise in the development of the project. The society is hoping to welcome new tenants by 2026 or 2027.  

Appleseed Court (photo by Ken Kingston)

The Chair of the Society’s Board of Directors Colleen Cameron says they hired the development firm a few weeks ago, and they are now seeking funding for preliminary work. Cameron said they are ballparking the first phase of the project at around $23 million.

The society has to offer five per cent of the equity for the project, and they will be reaching out to the various levels of government for help.