Alternative Housing at Bechtel

All 18 containers for the new housing at Bechtel St. have arrived on site at the NOW Housing facility where they will be transformed into energy efficient, affordable homes for six households in our community. The pictures below show the before and after transformation that will occur.

Stay tuned for next steps from the Region, including Site Plan Approval and submitting the building permit application.Before: Shipping containers as they arrive on site

After: Energy efficient affordable homes

The Bechtel Street alternative housing project has reached a major milestone in our development! The City of Cambridge is now reviewing the Site Plan Application. The review is to ensure the development is safe, efficient and meets all policies and regulations.

The Bechtel Project Team is also excited to share two images of the building. One is from the view of the existing building on the property and the other is the view from Bechtel Street. The colour and design elements reflect feedback received from the neighbourhood meetings held in December.

Next steps for the Region include responding to any questions or comments that arise during the Site Plan Review and beginning the work required to obtain a building permit.

View from the existing building

View from Bechtel Street

DST Consulting Engineers Inc. will be on site at the Bechtel property on January 19^th, 2021 from 8:00am-5:30pm, weather dependent. They will be testing the soil and rock conditions underground. This work will help determine the type of foundation and paving materials needed for the new six-unit housing complex. The work will be performed by a drill rig that will complete small test holes in various, preplanned locations.

The work will be slightly noisy and the contractor will require access to the parking lot during this time.

Tenants of the building will receive notices directly from Region of Waterloo Facilities and WRH with additional information and instructions for parking relocations.

Region of Waterloo Project Coordinator, Nolan Smith, will be on site at the beginning of the day to ensure the consultant has everything they need to complete the scope of work.

If you have any questions about this work please send an email to: Bechtel@regionofwaterloo.ca or call 519-575-4400 ext 3443.

Meet the Developer

The alternative housing coming to 127 – 161 Bechtel Street now has a developer, and you’re invited you to learn how these new homes will be built in your community. We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback and questions around how these new homes will enhance your neighbourhood and the broader community.

We are hosting two virtual neighbourhood meetings so that the developer, NOW Housing, can showcase their ideas for the property. During this meeting, there will be an opportunity for you to provide feedback on things like building design and greenspace.

If you would like to attend one or both of the virtual neighborhood meetings, please register at the link(s) below for the meeting(s) you wish to attend. After you give register, you will be sent the zoom link to the meeting by email.

Monday Dec 21 from 10-11am Register here

Monday Dec 21 from 7-8 pm Register here

If you would like to participate in the on-line meetings but do not have access to a computer, please call 519-575-4400 ext. 3443 and leave a message. We will call you back with a way to join by phone. If you require other accommodations to attend this meeting, please email Bechtel@regionofwaterloo.ca or call the number above and leave a message.

A recording of the presentation will be made available on this page after the meeting. In addition, the community will have another opportunity to provide input on the ideas for the property through a survey that will be posted after the meetings.

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.