The project entails the development of 46 new affordable supportive housing units for women at 44 Eccles Street in Ottawa’s Chinatown neighbourhood. The site is located on the south side of Eccles Street, across from the Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC) and close to Cornerstone’s Booth Street residence.
The building is an existing 4-storey office building that will be retrofitted into residential studio apartments. Prior to its use as an office, the building and site were used as a school for several decades. The exterior of the building will be retained and respectfully integrated into the new design.
The building will feature a community kitchen and shared living space, offices for Cornerstone staff and other service providers, communal laundry facilitates, and an outdoor landscaped amenity area. To accommodate residents of all abilities, a new elevator will be added at the southwest corner of the building.
The building will incorporate a range of features that will significantly improve its energy performance. Accessible design will also extend through all public areas of the building and site, and will include a new entrance.