Simcoe County has revealed details of an $80-million build planned for Orillia.

The County Orillia Campus is a proposed multi-use development with about 130 affordable residential units designed for seniors, families and individuals. Of those, about 45 will be multi-bedroom units targeted to families; the balance are one-bedroom and studio units, all of which will follow universal designs for aging in place.

The project will be sited on the former Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (OCDVI) site on West Street North. Construction was originally planned to start this spring or summer. In a presentation to the public on March 10, however, the county's maintenance and facilities project manager Brad Spiewak says the project could be delayed. 

“It all depends on how quick in the summer we can get going. I think in reality every job we have done we seem to lose two to four months... so that’s where I think early or late fall of ’23 is what we could expect,” he said.

The development also proposes to include a number of community services, primarily on the ground level. These include Ontario Works, Children and Community Services, and Social Housing offices, as well as community partners, such as Victorian Order of Nurses, Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, EarlyON Child and Family Centre, and a licensed child care centre.

The building is expected to span 216,000 square feet, of which 60,000 square feet will be allocated to the proposed commercial and office space footprint.

Although the county is not officially targeting LEED certification for the project, it will incorporate proven technologies for efficiencies in electricity, power and water consumption, including new standards set out by the county's sustainable energy policy and teams. The design will also incorporate historical elements from the former ODCVI.

"It’s important to know that the county is investing in the design of this building to ensure it meets the architectural requirements of the City of Orillia, while maximizing the creation of affordable housing," said Arfona Zwiers, the county's director of social housing. "The project will include quality, robust building components that are designed to last for many decades, in particular at a time when other affordable housing builds are utilizing containers and/or lower quality materials.”

The county is pursuing funding for the project through programs from the federal and provincial governments.