December 19th 2024 Media Release
Limestone City Co-operative Housing Inc. (LCCH) is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking milestone with the signing of a letter of engagement to secure private funding to cover up to 95% of the residential development costs for its transformative housing project. With estimates placing the financing at about $100 million, this visionary project sets a new national benchmark for sustainable, attainable housing.
LCCH has partnered with an accomplished team, including Steve Marshall, Broker with Dominion Lending Centres FC Funding, Steven Dionne, Director of Mortgage Origination at Canada ICI, and Chelsey Fawcett, CEO of Grant Solutions Canada, to advance this bold initiative.
A New Vision for Housing, Sustainability, Food Security, and Community
LCCH redefines affordable housing through an integrated approach to food security, energy production, employment, and mental health support. Designed with a 200-year lifespan, to operate off-grid, produce zero greenhouse gas emissions, and includes an industrial size vertical farm, the project will provide 400 residents with a sustainable, thriving community by 2028.
Steve Marshall, a well-known local broker, shared his enthusiasm: “This project is a national model for innovation. The impact it will have—not just in Kingston but across Canada—is tremendous. I’m proud to be part of turning this vision into reality.”
Steven Dionne echoed this sentiment, adding: “This is the kind of bold thinking we need to solve housing challenges. I’m excited to help arrange the financing that this project deserves. Seeing it come to life is good for everyone.”
Chelsey Fawcett, CEO of Grant Solutions Canada, noted “This project demonstrates what’s possible when private and public partnerships align. LCCH’s holistic vision sets a precedent for the future of housing.”
Jeff McLaren, President of LCCH, described the moment as life-changing: “When I received the letter from Steven Dionne and Steve Marshall, I felt like I was dreaming. It was the best Christmas gift LCCH could ever have received. We are now on a path to achieving something extraordinary.”
He went on to thank Brent and Joe Atkinson, brothers and managing partners with consulting firm, PermaTech EcoSolutions Inc. who “raised me out of the deepest despair back in September with a new and promising direction for turning the co-op dream into a reality. They saved the co-op when all seemed lost. Their help, advice, contacts, and generosity has breathed new life into LCCH’s project.”
Community Partnerships Driving Success
LCCH credits the support of Brent and Joe Atkinson among many members of the community that continue to be the wind at the back of this project becoming an innovative landmark.
Brent Atkinson, shared: “We are proud of the City for initially commissioning this vision, and most impressed by Jeff and the board for the quality of what has been achieved to date. This project embodies the vision, collaboration, and community support that Kingston is quietly known for among the change makers. Kingston is proving that we can achieve world-class solutions when we work
together. The city’s contribution and LCCH’s leadership are inspiring.”
Joe Atkinson added: “For PermaTech, this project is a culmination of 18 months of work with vertically integrated climate-tech partners. We’re proud to be part of a solution that will house 400 residents and set a global standard for sustainable living.”
Councillor Conny Glenn, who, in a truly innovative flash of insight first suggested attaching a vertical farm to the housing co-op said, “This is innovation in action. Addressing the challenges of affordable housing, food sustainability, and the environment, while creating economic and social benefit in one building is an elegant solution.”
Gary Bennett, co-op member, former Mayor of Kingston, and the founder of Bendale Property Management, who from the first hearing of the concept, recognized the project’s significance said, “We have to get this built. It represents a creative new approach to how we envision community living.”
The team of Chuck Smith and Richard Gibson at Planetary Harvest Projects designed the integrated housing and vertical farm structure. Richard envisions that “Kingston will be a showcase for a new climate-smart way of housing and vertical farming that creates synergistic heating, ventilation and air conditioning efficiencies for energy and carbon reduction. Plants and people naturally belong together.”
Chuck Smith adds “…cooperative indoor farming, biophilic environments for mental health, communal kitchens and markets. This project is ground-breaking in so many ways including it’s Net-Zero aspects that it will be the Gold Standard for sustainable housing well into the future!”
LCCH is a non-profit, non-share capital, de-commodified housing cooperative committed to building sustainable, attainable housing that incorporates food production, energy independence, and community wellness.
LCCH’s non-profit co-op model requires members to contribute a number of hours a week to supporting the co-op. This community volunteer labour is the key to the vertical farm’s financial viability as teams work to grow food for the co-op and the larger community. The building’s energy needs will come from a full geothermal system and next generation solar panels that clad the building and resemble wood, stone, and even transparent glass.
LCCH has permanence in mind as we build. The operating plans integrate a practice of continuous improvement in order to be ready for unimaginable challenges over the next 200 years. This building will be the only one of its kind in Canada. Kingston will proudly demonstrate this innovative marriage between urban farming and communal living. Our project will disrupt the affordable housing crisis with 248 permanently attainable units, uplifting citizens into sustainable, communal living for generations
and centuries to come.
LCCH will soon turn to the community to raise funds for the remaining 5% and the vertically integrated
farming facility — approximately $20 million — LCCH will soon invite residents, businesses, and
supporters to play a role in making this vision a reality. Please visit our website at www.lcch.ca and
consider donating.