New housing projects top Mayor's State of City address

London Mayor Josh Morgan has made housing his priority in 2024 with plans to redevelop office space into residential units, a new deal with four large developers and a commitment to overhaul surface parking lots for housing.

At the annual State of the City address, which brings together hundreds of professionals for a breakfast at RBC Place, Morgan said his ideas are bold, and he plans to use the newly instated strong mayors powers to achieve them.

Morgan said the city is partnering with four of London's largest developers, Tricar, Auburn Group, Drewlo and Sifton Properties, to convert the former longterm care home Elmwood Place into affordable housing units. 

"Partnering with Indwell, they will work to retrofit the property, and with support from government partners, this site will provide 40 new units of highly supportive housing," Morgan said of the site located on Wharncliffe Road South. 

The mayor also announced new money to convert office space into residential units, a project that other cities like Calgary have been trying. The downtown office vacancy rate in London is currently 28.5 per cent, according to new data released by Commercial Real Estate Services (CBRE), and one of the highest in Ontario. 

"Our program proposes a grant for each new apartment of $20,000 for a single bedroom unit, and $28,000 for apartments of two or more bedrooms. The opportunity to breath new life into old buildings is a must," Morgan said.

As for parking lots, Morgan said the space taken up by surface lots, of which there are many in downtown London, is an opportunity for housing. 

"I will give a directive to city staff to prepare requests for proposals to redevelop city parking lots in and around the downtown. These RFPs will add parking and will add highrise apartments above." 

He plans to use the strong mayor power that was granted to the heads of council in Ontario late last fall to expedite housing-related bylaws. It means Morgan can pass legislation with the support of one-third of councillors, override council approval of certain bylaws, and prepare their city's budget, instead of council.

The mayor reiterated his support for improving public safety in London when he pointed to the multi-year budget that will be decided in the coming weeks at city hall. 

The London Police Service (LPS) says it needs $171 million to add 189 new positions from 2024 to 2027 to improve response times, give officers better equipment and vehicles, and modernize policing technologies.

"Yes, the cost is significant. Yes, it will result in a noticeable, one-time impact on our property tax bill. But the cost of doing nothing, as we've all seen, is greater," Morgan said, who aslo sits as a member on the Police Services Board.