SHOVELS IN GROUND TODAY AT OLD BRACEBRIDGE ARENA FOR 103 ‘ATTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE’ HOUSING UNITS IN PUBLIC PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT PARTNERSHIP

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

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BRACEBRIDGE — Housing being a hot election top, today’s ground-breaking at the former Memorial Arena site here was timely, coming just a little more than two weeks out from the municipal vote.

A ceremonial dirt turning event marked the start of the Memorial Arena Site Redevelopment project to turn the vacant property into a “new affordable and attainable residential development,” says a release from the District of Muskoka, one of the public private partnership members.

They along with the Town of Bracebridge, Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North, and Greystone Project Management Inc. got together to celebrate the signing of the master agreement and the next phase of a major housing development in downtown Bracebridge.

The four partners say redeveloping the former Memorial Arena site on James Street — a block off Manitoba Street main street will bring much-needed housing to the heart of Bracebridge and support the continued growth and vibrancy of the downtown by expanding housing close to businesses, services, transit and other community amenities.

A site plan below shows the location of the two buidlings and notes Chubb Downey Lane will remain along with the skateboard park and new community park space.

The project will deliver 103 total (82 and 21) residential rental units between two buildings, with occupancy planned by the end of 2028.

No cost estimate was released in the district statement.

  • Gravenhurst is seeing four new district units being built on First Street, a block off its Muskoka Road main street. District chair Jeff Lehman has told MuskokaTODAY.com, when asked, that Gravenhurst received previous district support in the form of affordable housing support at the Alexander Retirement home overlooking the Muskoka Wharf and Lake Muskoka a couple years ago.  
The six-storey Muskoka building facing onto James Street will be operated by the district and feature 82 units with at least 25 per cent at “affordable” rents they say. RENDERING District of Muskoka

District of Muskoka building:

A six-storey District of Muskoka building with 82 rental units will be owned and operated by the district as part of the District’s Big Move on Housing.

  • It will feature a mix of apartment sizes from studio to three-bedroom.
  • Aligning with the district’s priority of creating more safe, attainable, and sustainable housing, at least 25 per cent of those units will have affordable rent.
  • The District is also seeking federal and provincial funding to increase the proportion of units that can be offered at affordable or deeply affordable rents.
  • The other units may be offered at low to modest market rents.
  • A third of the units will be accessible/barrier-free, while the remaining units will be designed to support any future accessibility needs.
  • The ground floor of the building is planned to include space for children’s programming, with details still being finalized.

To learn more and sign up for building email updates, visit engagemuskoka.ca/bracebridge-affordable-housing-development.

Habitat for Humanity Building: 

A four-storey building with 21 rental units will be owned and operated by Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North as one of their Generation Homes initiatives, a social enterprise designed to address critical housing needs while also sustaining the Habitat mission of creating affordable homeownership opportunities.

Generation Homes focuses on purpose-built rental housing that blends market and affordable units to strengthen long-term organizational sustainability while expanding access to attainable housing.

  • Of the units in this development, 25 per cent of them will be affordable.

To learn more about Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North, visit habitatgatewaynorth.com.

A site plan shows the location of the two buidlings and notes Chubb Downey Lane will remain along with the skateboard park and new community park space. Rendering District of Muskoka

Community collaboration 

The redevelopment a collaborative public, private and not-for-profit partnership, made possible through an opportunity created by Bracebridge when it issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in January 2025 seeking redevelopment proposals for the newly vacant municipal property. Proposals were required to align with the vision and objectives established through the town’s Downtown Master Plan, including the opportunity to bring new housing to the downtown.

The RFP was conditionally awarded this past March to a partnership between Greystone Project Management Inc., the district and Habitat for Humanity, with the town committing to donate the lands to support the provision of affordable rental housing in downtown Bracebridge.

Since that time, the project partners have worked together to advance the proposed redevelopment and satisfy the conditions of the RFP award.

The signing of the master agreement between the four parties represents the fulfillment of those conditions and allows the project to move forward into the next phase of development.

For news and updates as the project progresses, subscribe to engagebracebridge.ca/memorial-arena-site-redevelopment.

District chair Jeff Lehman said: “We are putting former public lands back to work, investing in much-needed housing and supporting a stronger downtown…. We are proud to see this partnership move ahead and look forward to continuing the work to create more affordable and attainable housing for current and future residents.”

And Jon Morton, COO of Greystone Project Management, said: “This project shows what can be achieved when municipal, private and non-profit partners bring their expertise and resources together, towards a common objective.”

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