After being delayed by about four years, the first tenants have officially moved into the newly expanded Maxwell Park Place in Sarnia.
Work has been completed on the 24 unit modular expansion which includes six units for March of Dimes patients with physical disabilities.
The other 18 will be similar to the seniors' units, already operating at the facility.
Tenants will be arriving in a phased approach over the next few weeks, so it's less busy and they have easy access to the elevators.
Initially, the three-storey expansion project was expected to be completed in 2022.
BECC Construction Inc. had been tasked with the work including the design, foundation work, as well as construction and stacking of the modules.
The county said several deficiencies were found including plumbing, electrical, and fire rating insulations for different items such as the doors and windows.
There were also numerous several delays related to oil issues, weather delays, and site servicing.
In 2024, the county parted ways with BECC and hired Husky General Contracting Ltd. to finish the project.
Lambton County Manager of Housing Services Melisa Johnson said just over 1,000 households are eligible and on the wait list for rent geared to income assistance.
"We're seeing about a 15 per cent increase in our centralized wait list annually," said Johnson. "That's been fairly consistent for the last five years or so."
Johnson said the project was initially estimated to cost $7 million, but that jumped significantly to around $14.5 million.
"That being said, we did have additional sources of funding, including some funding through the calling of the bond against the original contractor," she said.
In September 2024, county council approved an additional $1.7 million in debt financing to complete the project.
A list of all county-owned housing services buildings can be found here.
