On November 1, fifteen KCH members and supporters met to tour the East Wing of Providence Village Motherhouse. We were accompanied by David and Cynthia McAuley, who developed and live in Watershed Cohousing in Guelph (designed by David).
This tour of the Motherhouse was the third one organized by Kingston Cohousing. In 2023 we visited the West Wing, and last year we looked at the Marion Wing as a potential cohousing site. The recent tour was our first opportunity as a group to see the East Wing.
Property Overview
Laurie French, President and CEO of Providence Village, opened the event with a Land Acknowledgement, noting that the Sisters of Providence wish to continue to serve the community, in perpetuity, by transforming their home into an inclusive space that promotes reconciliation. She went on to outline lease opportunities at the 1200 Princess Street site.
The 30-acre site is now owned by the Catholic Congregational Legacy Charity (CCLC). Providence Village Inc. (PVI), a not-for-profit corporation, holds the head lease with CCLC. Not-for-profit housing partners like Kingston Cohousing could be offered an initial sublease for around 40 years.
While the Motherhouse is still home to 54 Sisters, their footprint within the building continues to shrink. PVI is offering subleases for space in the Motherhouse and for construction of not-for-profit housing on the property. Kingston Cohousing is pursuing both options.
For more information, visit www.Providencevillage.ca
East Wing Opportunity
The East Wing appears to require the least amount of renovation for a project like ours, as it is already configured as small apartments and is in excellent condition. It includes two kitchens, a large sunny sitting room and a lovely, courtyard garden. The East Wing space could be available within a year. Services including housekeeping and catering are available to tenants at below market rates, as well as hourly rental of space for meetings and events.
Because the East Wing has not been renovated since the 1960s, even minor changes to the floor plan could trigger a requirement to bring the whole space up to current Ontario Building Code requirements. Before investing further in design work, we are investigating the potential cost of upgrading to meet current standards.
New Construction Opportunity
Our tour included a look at the grounds surrounding the Motherhouse. Kingston Cohousing aims to build not-for-profit housing at the rear of the Providence Village site. We are in discussions about the most appropriate land parcel for our needs and we are preparing a Pre-Application to the City of Kingston for that project.
Next Steps: Would you like to follow the progress of discussions about potential occupancy of the East Wing for cohousing? Let us know, and we’ll invite you to join a discussion in the coming weeks.