It’s full steam ahead for redevelopment plans at Cassellholme.

This after a major hurdle in the redevelopment plans for eight long-term care homes in the north, including Cassellholme, has been cleared.

All party support at the committee level at Queen’s Park has been given to allow district homes to be mortgagees.

The move still requires third reading at the Legislature, but officials say it’s expected to move forward.

Vice chair of the Cassellholme board Councillor Mark King says this will be a $60-million redevelopment.

“Cassellholme will borrow its share, the province will provide 50 % of the build and the build will take place. The build will take about 4 years,” he says.

King doesn’t anticipate any municipal funds until at least year three of the development.

He says the board has already had discussions about private sector involvement in terms of some of the funding for the project and points out this is a big deal for the residents of Cassellholme.

“This will provide a new modern building for the people that live there,” he says.

Board chair Councillor Chris Mayne also weighed in on the provincial committee decision.

“While funding and financing will still be major issues to address, the approval of the ability to borrow means that the Casselholme Board can proceed to call for tenders early in the new year and then, subject to Municipal partner approvals of the final business case, begin the actual construction,” he says in a statement.

King, meantime, says his father Don was a previous chair of the board, so the redevelopment is emotional for him.

“You go through tough stuff in politics and sometimes there are some really great things that happen. It really makes me think about the past and how happy he would be to see this transforming,” he says.

(File photo)

Filed under: Cassellholme, Mark King, redevelopment