Heritage to housing: Non-profit group wants to build micro dwellings in downtown St. John's

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A vacant downtown St. John’s gathering could soon crook into housing. National non-profit radical Raising the Roof is eyeing 275 Duckworth St., and a discretionary usage exertion proposes 34 micro dwelling units built inside.

Raising the Roof projected to physique 34 tiny lodging units astatine 275 Duckworth Street

Maddie Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: May 18, 2025 7:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

A vacant downtown St. John's gathering could soon crook into implicit 30 surviving spaces.

National non-profit radical Raising the Roof is eyeing 275 Duckworth St., and a discretionary usage exertion projected to the metropolis says it's hoping to build 34 micro dwelling units inside.

Raising the Roof enforcement manager Sheldon Pollett describes a micro dwelling arsenic a tiny flat that has each the amenities of autarkic living. He says they tin scope from 300-500 quadrate feet.

Pollett said renovating a vacant gathering for the intent of affordable lodging is akin to trends crossed the country.

"Building caller operation lodging units is portion of the equation, but truthful is reclaiming existing spaces," helium told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.

The building connected Duckworth Street has a storied past — it was designated arsenic a practice operation by the metropolis successful 1989.

It was primitively built for the Newfoundland Clothing Company successful 1911, according to the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. Years later, successful 1956, the Evening Telegram took implicit the factory.

A antheral successful a pinkish garment wearing headphones successful a studio.

The factual downtown gathering has seen galore antithetic tenants since; including what was antecedently known arsenic CompuCollege, and the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador.

It's been vacant since the trade assembly moved retired successful 2021, and Pollett's squad wants to alteration that.

Why spell micro?

The enforcement manager said Raising the Roof plans connected making the projected micro dwelling units "moderate to profoundly affordable," if approved.

"We each privation to marque definite that we're addressing the needs of the folks who need, you know, profoundly affordable housing," said Pollett. "But it besides depends connected the mathematics of the building."

That would travel down to assorted provincial and national lodging and backing programs, helium said, but the non-profit besides has respective philanthropic partners.

WATCH | Smaller home, but faster to build, says the enforcement manager of Raising the Roof:

This radical is proposing micro lodging units for downtown St. John’s

Raising the Roof sees a connection — that volition soon beryllium earlier St. John’s metropolis assembly — arsenic a win-win-win. An bare downtown gathering could spot 34 micro dwellings and make much affordable housing. Executive manager Sheldon Pollett explains to the CBC’s Jen White conscionable what they are.

Pollett said determination are galore antithetic kinds of radical successful request of affordable housing, but this task focuses connected azygous individuals.

That's 1 crushed wherefore the radical is trying to soak up each the abstraction it can get, arsenic lodging waitlists turn longer, helium said. The non-profit projected to make 5 floors of the building.

"We privation to get arsenic galore units successful determination arsenic possible," Pollett said.

Raising the Roof has already built 69 units successful Ontario and Manitoba, providing 155 radical with unchangeable and affordable housing, according to its website.

Pollett hopes to get started connected the St. John's task wrong the adjacent 10 months.

The metropolis assembly is accepting comments connected the connection until May 27, and volition marque a determination by June 3.

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