Proposed boarding house worries some Brockville residents

Mirabel Property Management is hoping to turn a former fur depot into a boarding house for transient residents, but according to those who live in the area, it's not a good mix.

A proposed boarding house near downtown Brockville, Ont., is causing concern for nearby residents. The plan hit the city’s planning committee meeting Tuesday night, with many voicing opposition to the project.

David Duc has owned and operated a bed and breakfast in downtown Brockville for the past decade and says over that time the business has proved successful thanks in part to the gentrification of the neighbourhood.

“You can tell just by looking at the properties and the businesses that are relocating in the area that things are looking up,” Duc said. “This, I think, would be a major step back.”

It’s a building a block away that’s causing concern for Duc and other residents near 86 John St.

Mirabel Property Management is hoping to turn the former fur depot into an 18-room boarding house for transient residents. According to Duc, the combination doesn’t make for a good mix.

“There’s a public school that is literally across the street,” Duc said. “That kind of a development is not in keeping with the neighbourhood itself, which is predominantly single detached houses.”

In addition to a boarding house coming into this neighbourhood, Duc says it’s the property management company that worries him the most about this situation. In the two years it’s owned the building, the lawn has only been mowed twice, including the most recent time, which was just a few hours before Tuesday’s public meeting.

This isn’t the first time a boarding house has operated in downtown Brockville but a lack of parking could hinder this project.