Condominiums and apartment for active elderly residents are coming into vogue in North Bay. New developments are filling up or are poised for construction on the waterfront and the desirable Trout Lake Road area.
It's one of the sidebars of the ongoing flurry of construction in the Gateway City.
There's an emerging trend among area seniors and snowbirders who are moving out of their bungalows and up into high-rise dwellings. Others involving the more frail elderly are giving up their homes because of the maintenance chores and security issues.
On a vacant six-acre lot located just off Trout Lake Road, Burlington developers DeMac Properties plan to build a two-phase, 114-unit complex tucked behind a new Hyundai dealership.
The development, Granite Village, will be a four-storey project with heated ground floor parking and is specifically geared to retirees.
Marketing manager Cathy Baril says North Bay is definitely viewed by outside developers as an ideal spot for active seniors.
"Most definitely it's an aging population and there's room for growth. We just have to look at the statistics of the aging population in Canada growing "exponentially".
DeMac has a similar planned development in Collingwood on Georgian Bay.
Baril, who was well on her way to pre-selling 60 per cent of units prior to construction this year, says many of the purchasers are locals.
"They own homes in their senior years and looking for something that's simple, that they can lock the door and go away to Florida for the winter."
Other phone calls are coming from locals who want to relocate their elderly parents from southern Ontario to North Bay to be closer to family.
Potentially, there could be town homes on the property and there are other plans to build a 109-unit full-service retirement home.
"We'll always have people in the 55 to 75 age range," says Baril, "but those in their 80's and over, probably will require assistance at that point."
A population forecast inside the new city's official plan indicated between 1991 and 2001, the percentage of those 65 years and older jumped from 11 to 15 per cent.
In ten years time, local mortality rates are expected to outstrip births with about a third of the city's population reaching 55 years and older by 2031. North Bay has always promoted its quality of life and affordability to attract companies. But during the winter, the city received some favourable press from 50-Plus magazine, naming North Bay as one of the 20 Great Places to Live in Canada.
One of the newest developments is the six-storey Watersun condominums which opened for occupancy last summer.
Closer to many retail amenities on Lakeshore Drive, each suite contains a balcony offering a spectacular all-season view of Lake Nipissing.
The apartments and penthouses start at $199,900 and $255,900 respectively and range between 916 and 1,550-square feet.
There were only a handful of the 46 total units left this spring since the first resident moved in last June.
Local realtor Rob Jamieson, who represents the Barnes Group of Toronto, says the building was initially marketed as carefree condo living for urban young couples. Nevertheless, seniors began snapping them up.
Half the queries he was fielding were locals, the rest came from out of town.
Some were moving south from other towns in northeastern Ontario to be closer to grown children and grandkids.
"With some people up north, they find this is as far south as want to come," says Jamieson.
The city's head planner, Ian Kilgour, identifies the Lakeshore Drive-Williams Street area is one of five "nodes" that has developed over the years for seniors living, including the downtown core, Trout Lake, Cassels Street and Third Avenue.
Many developments have been built around commercial and retail strips where groceries, banks and pharmacies are easily at hand.
At Third Avenue, there are 17 city-owned small lots being set aside for affordable housing. The city is accepting development proposals but hasn't determined in April if they would be sold as individual lots for bungalows or as an entire land package.
Downtown, Sudbury homebuilder Dalron opened its 40-unit Marina Point apartment complex for retirees to overlook the city marina and government wharf.
Nearby, city officials are eyeballing a major waterfront opportunity for developers at the former Kenroc Tools property on the north side of the waterfront parklands.
Mayor Vic Fedeli said he wouldn't mind seeing condos or apartments going up there to take advantage of the "million-dollar sunset view" facing west over the lake.
Overall, North Bay's building cycle continues unabated in all areas.
