The construction of an apartment building which was to open its doors in 2024 in Caraquet, between Tim Horton’s and the National Bank, should finally be launched next summer.
In the fall of 2023, a poster was installed on the site to announce the future building and its 48 apartments. On Wednesday, Roland Noël, the president and manager of Résidences habitat soleil, the main promoter of the project, told the newspaper that everything would be completed next year.
Moreover, the land has just been surveyed.
The building, which will be accessed via rue Bellevue, will have a ground floor and two floors. In the basement, there will be a community room, a storage area, an exercise room and a laundry room.
Its construction cost, estimated at $12 million, should not change, according to Mr. Noël, even if the project has evolved over the months. For example, three apartments will be added to the 48 already planned, which will bring the number to 51.
On the other hand, if several housing units fall under the “affordable” category, the president of Résidences habitat soleil hopes to be able to increase their number.
“There will be at least 20% affordable or subsidized housing, but we are trying to exceed that.”
Additionally, the building will be designed to be as “green” as possible.
“It’s an ambitious project,” said Mr. Noël, “because we want to make it a “zero energy” project. This means that we will use biomass for heating, then solar panels to provide a good amount of energy.”
If the preparatory stages have not progressed as quickly as we would have liked, the businessman maintains that many steps have still been taken.
Financing agreements have been concluded, among other things, to obtain federal subsidies which are available through the municipality’s housing assistance program. Housing NB, a provincial organization, also played a role.
Then, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) will have a say in carrying out the project. The promoter explained that the latter is partly responsible for the delays.
“At the central mortgage company, they changed the rules of the game a little. It delayed us about four months, because they asked for additional things. We have to do all this before the official request.”
The first tenants, he hopes, could move into their apartment in spring 2026. Mr. Noël assures that the requests are numerous.
“I think we exceed 150,” he revealed. And interested parties regularly press him with questions to find out where the project is at.
“A lot of people have given their names and they’re calling back to see if it’s still going ahead. There are some who call every week,” he added.
