Fencing is up and dumpsters are in place in Shaver’s Bench as preparations begin for demolition of the 67-year old seniors villa, marking the start of a planned $15-million redevelopment years in the making.
Contractors have mobilized to begin dismantling the interiors and windows of the existing units, with full demolition expected to begin in about two weeks.
An official groundbreaking ceremony is being planned for early September, according to long-time project advocate and volunteer Tom Hart.
This milestone follows a provincial funding announcement in March 2024, which approved the Trail and District Senior Citizens’ Villa Society’s proposal to replace the existing 23 outdated units with new one-bedroom apartments designed specifically for seniors.
“I was excited when I got the news,” Hart told the Trail Times during an interview in April 2024. “I’m looking forward to seeing the project move ahead. In the end it will provide needed additional spaces.”
The villa, originally built in 1958 by the Trail Rotary Club, offered 10 studio suites and 13 one-bedroom units.
It is owned and operated by volunteers through the Trail and District Senior Citizens’ Villa Society.
The redevelopment will be a new single three-storey building of 41 units.
Landscaping is scheduled to be completed in early 2027.
About 70 per cent of the new units will be offered at 30 per cent of household income or lower, while the remainder will be rented at market rates.
An ongoing operating grant will help keep rents affordable for low- to moderate-income seniors.
Funding includes support from BC Housing, as well as contributions from Teck Trail Operations and the Kootenay Savings Community Foundation.
Hart, a longtime volunteer with the society, has been instrumental in pushing the redevelopment forward.
His involvement began at the request of a former board member, and he’s stayed with the project through years of planning and proposal work.
After significant groundwork, the proposal was first brought before Trail city council in November 2023, when Hart and Jan Morton, representing the villa’s society, presented the redevelopment plan.
They sought municipal support for zoning changes and potential tax relief.
Council later agreed to provide a letter of support to include with the BC Housing application.
