$9-million student residence unveiled by Everlast

(Submitted photo)

Officials from the Everlast Group gathered on Thursday morning to announce a new $9 million building investment that will see the construction of La Residence, a student residence in downtown Chatham.

Municipal officials said in a media release, the facility is located in the former YMCA building on King Street West.

(Submitted photo)

La Residence construction began in November of last year and when completed will create a residence that has a capacity to house 200 students.

“As part of our commitment to prove that Chatham-Kent is the right community for investment, we have launched an aggressive build timeline to have La Residence completed by in a little over a year,” stated Victor Boutin, Principal at Everlast Group LTD, in a media release.

“There was a need identified in the community and we are happy to be able to step forward and work with our partners to lead a significant investment that will address that need.”

According to La Residence Project Supervisor, Brian Chute, there are three project phases in the timeline with phase 1 set to be complete in next month, phase two is planned for June, and phase three is planned to wrap up at the end of December of 2019.

“This is a very important project not only because it breathes new life into an old building, it also increases the number of affordable spaces for students to live,” stated Frank Moceri, Industry Liaison at St. Clair College.

“This endeavour will support St Clair College’s growth and development.”

Municipal officials said as part of the process to ensure that La Residence construction is proceeding as smoothly as possible, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent Building Department has been working closely with the Everlast Group to ensure that all plans and construction activities are up to code, safe for the community, and able to move forward.

“I have seen the plans for this new student residence and they are amazing,” stated Darrin Canniff, Chatham-Kent’s Mayor, in a media release.

“I’m aware that housing can at times be a barrier and so it’s fantastic when the municipality can work with local developers to help eliminate those barriers. Not only is the initial $9 million dollar investment positive for all of Chatham-Kent, but the economic spinoffs of having 200 more people in the downtown Chatham core will be important for local business.”

Following the completion of phase 3 in 2019, it is planned that students will be able to begin accessing the residence in line with the St. Clair College semester schedule.

Established in 1980, Everlast Group is a proud Canadian company that strives to provide unique and invaluable construction solutions for their clients, Municipal officials said.

Their portfolio of work includes a wide range of development planning, new construction builds, and restoration work.

In addition to their efforts towards improving Chatham-Kent, Everlast Group has a strong commitment to green initiatives as part of their core value to champion environmental stewardship, Municipal officials added.

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