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5 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,January 27,2022 w aterloochronicle.ca A new affordable hous- ing development in Water- loo will make a difference for families. "We know that there's such a shortage of units with three bedrooms or more, so I'm happy to see that here," said Regional Coun. Jim Erb during a vir- tual public meeting on Jan. 18 regarding 416 King- scourt Dr., a Waterloo Re- gion housing property that's earmarked for infill. Kingcourt Place as it's known is already home to residents in 53 subsidized rental units -- 25 two-bed- room units and 28 three- bedroom units. A new building with three- and six-storey sec- tions will bring an addi- tional 73 units, 23 of them designed with three bed- rooms or more. The cur- rent plan includes five five- bedroom units and seven four-bedroom models. Tuesday's Zoom meet- ing was the first opportuni- ty for people to get an idea of what the project will look like courtesy of Lin- nea Chamberlain, presi- dent of Chamberlain Ar- chitects. She said the existing en- trance will be maintained, with the new development tucked in behind the exist- ing building, just north of the Conestoga Parkway near Conestoga Mall. A one-level under- ground parking garage with 57 spaces is included in the plans along with in- door bicycle storage and garbage disposal, three amenity rooms of varying sizes and a larger, accessi- ble playground area. The building will be en- ergy efficient with a low- carbon design and geother- mal heat. Triple glazed win- dows will help reduce noise. Region of Waterloo housing manager Amy Osika said the building will offer a mix of affordability with rent geared to income, low-end market rent and 80 per cent of median market rent as set out by the Cana- da Mortgage and Housing Corporation. About 25 of the new units will be occupied by individuals on the region's wait list, but staff haven't yet determined how the re- maining units will be allot- ted or if there will be a lot- tery. Local residents talked about the traffic and con- struction noise that will come from a new housing development but in the end were more interested about welcoming newcom- ers to their neighbourhood with the prospect of partic- ipatory public art and com- munity gardens. "We want the new com- munity to be part of our old community and vice ver- sa," said Donna Ferguson, a member of the surround- ing Foxhunt Neighbour- hood. More about the project, including ways to get in- volved and provide feed- back, can be found at enga- gewr.ca. While the area is touted as being close to light-rail transit and community amenities, people voiced the need for more formal- ized pedestrian links, as well as various measures to improve safety. The site plan should be approved this winter with construction getting un- derway in the spring/sum- mer. Occupancy is expec- ted in 2024. SUBSIDIZED HOUSING INFILL WILL BRING 'MIX OF AFFORDABILITY' An architectural rendering of what's to come at 416 Kingscourt Dr. in Waterloo, with the new building located at the back of the property, north of the Conestoga Parkway. The six-storey section has balconies. Region of Waterloo photo BILL JACKSON bjackson@torstar.ca 73 UNITS WITH ONE TO FIVE BEDROOMS Wilfrid Laurier University stu- dents will resume in-person instruc- tion between Jan. 31 and Feb. 28 as part of a phased approach based on class size and activity. The list of courses in each phase can be found https://bit.ly/3GZ9FjM. The university's mandatory vacci- nation policy and face-covering policy remain in effect. The university says it will host Winter Term Town Halls on Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. (undergraduate students) and 1:30 p.m. (graduate students) to share more details and answer questions. WLU TO RESUME IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION JAN. 31 YOUR CITY Visit waterloochronicle.ca for more coverage