'We can't be afraid of height': 10-storey apartment building proposed near downtown St. John's
CBC
A St. John's property developer has proposed a new 10-storey apartment building near the city's downtown, saying a key way to increase housing density is by building up.
KMK Capital has proposed the site at 34 New Cove Rd., the current site of a Max Fitness gym. The building would create 108 new one- and two-bedroom units along with a parking level, according to KMK CEO Justin Ladha.
"Really to make this work, we needed to go up," Ladha said Thursday. "This is an excellent location. The road network is great, the neighbouring amenities, the supermarket, the trails, it's right on transit."
Ladha said the company has proposed more 10-storey units in the city, saying creating larger builds is a way to make them more financially feasible.
He's part of the group working with the City of St. John's and Newfoundland and Labrador government on the proposal — as it requires the land be rezoned and an amendment to municipal plans — but believes apartments could be ready to live in in the next two years.
"We think we can be shovels in the ground if everyone pulls on the same oar, and obviously the public consultations go well, in April or May. Now that is ambitious, but it is certainly possible," he said.
Ladha said he hopes to make the units as affordable as possible, but couldn't commit to them being affordable in the same vein as properties from the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.
KMK Capital is developing several other sites around the city, including a project that will build 69 apartments at Churchill Square.
"The demand is significant," he said, estimating a shortage of 3,000 to 4,000 units.
St. John's Mayor Danny Breen told CBC News the proposal has been approved by council and is awaiting a land use assessment report that will be followed by public consultation.
"It's a significant building.… Increase in supply is good for the market, and good for people that are renting," Breen said.
"We can't be afraid of height, but we have to do it smartly and we have to do it in the appropriate places."
Breen said the city is also looking at other ways to help create more density and address the housing crisis, like working with other levels to government to get shovels in the ground quicker and looking at land that the city could potentially free up for builds.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
Two pregnant women who would otherwise be living in a cold tent. A man whose leg wound was so bad it required intravenous medication. Two young people who no longer need to couch surf to get by.
The province has added 12 kilometres of designated trails for all-terrain vehicles in western Prince Edward Island that will connect existing routes in O’Leary and Tignish.
Every year, CBC North publishes hundreds of stories online — breaking news, investigative reporting, political coverage, community features, longform storytelling, and much more.
After a wild year in Canadian politics that began with Justin Trudeau's resignation and ended with Conservative MPs crossing the floor to join Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government, 2026 is shaping up to be just as action-packed.
It became a rallying cry, a cultural touchstone, a marketing strategy and — our favourite — often described in international media as "a hockey term" or "a Canadian phrase."
A Toronto musician and professor at Humber Polytechnic was nominated for a Grammy for his album, which was put together with contributions from many Toronto artists.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Edmonton-based country singer Patrick Masse, like millions of other Canadians, applied for relief benefits.
The chase for a non-traditional holiday feast prompted the City of Mount Pearl to issue a traffic notice for the area of Commonwealth Avenue on Saturday.
A white, wooden church by the St. John River with roots going back to 1775 is being dismantled after years of deterioration caused by flooding.
Since opening his small family-run restaurant with his mother back in 2021, Abdul Raziq Khan says he's worked hard to create a sense of community centred on giving back.
Residents of a northern Manitoba First Nation are being told that their power will not be restored until late in the day on New Year’s Eve.
On most mornings at La Suerte Bakery and Resto in Prince Albert, the day starts before sunrise.
A washout has closed Highway 16 on Haida Gwaii as a round of heavy rain lashes B.C.'s North Coast.