Alternative Housing at Bechtel

The Bechtel Alternative Housing Project in Cambridge has a proposed developer.

The project’s evaluation team is recommending that Now Housing and Masters of Building Assembly supply and install the units planned for 127-161 Bechtel St.

The recommendation will go to Council for discussion on November 17^th and a decision on November 25^th.

The report with the recommendation will be posted on the Region’s website today by 4:30 p.m. as part of the agenda for the November 17^th meeting. The report itself will be posted on this Engage page in the Key Document section as of November 11^th.

You can view the meetings on YouTube and register to speak through the clerk’s office.

If approved, next steps will include the developer gathering input from the community on the design of the alternative housing.

The call for development proposals for alternative housing at Bechtel closed October 7th. A team of staff from relevant departments, including housing and finance, are evaluating the proposals according to the design guidelines approved by Council and informed by community input. The guidelines require developers to consider:

• Where the new units will be located in proximity to the existing buildings;
• How the new units will blend with the existing buildings; and
• How landscaping and community spaces will be incorporated.

The proposal that best meets these guidelines will go to Committee of the Whole on November 17^th and Regional Council on November 25^th for final approval.

The developer will gather design input from the Bechtel community in December and/or January.

The Region of Waterloo is now accepting expressions of interest for the development of 127-161 Bechtel Drive. Developers will incorporate feedback from the community into their submissions for alternative housing. The deadline to submit an expression of interest is October 7^th. View the Expression of Interest document here.

The feedback we received from you through email and the Town Hall meetings on the design of the Bechtel Alternative housing is now posted on this Engage page in the "Documents for Download" section. This feedback, along with best practices for urban design, has been incorporated in the proposed design guidelines (pg. 123 of the Committee Agenda) that will be presented to the Community Services Committee (CSC) on August 11^th. If approved at CSC, they will go to Regional Council for final approval August 20^th.

You can continue to call the Bechtel line (519-575-4400 x3443) or email Bechtel@regionofwaterloo.ca if you have other feedback or questions.

The developer for this project will be chosen in early November. They will be required to share the drawings of their proposed concepts for the site with the community. We will provide an opportunity through Engage for you to provide feedback on the concepts before moving forward to ensure that your concerns are addressed.