City of Fort St. John, VRS Communities working on seniors housing complex

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John and VRS Communities are working to bring a 115-unit seniors housing complex to the city’s core.

The project was previously titled Harlequin at Prairie Rose Park.

Earlier in the year, it was announced the VRS Communities project near the Fort St. John Hospital and Peace Villa would no longer proceed, and the land was put back on the market. 

Kevin Pearson, with Century 21, said the decision to sell the land was due to the high cost of servicing it.

The newly proposed project will be located on a portion of the old Fort St. John Hospital site at 9636 100th Avenue and will be called The Harlequin at City Centre.

The Harlequin at City Centre will feature 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and studio homes designed for accessibility and will also include meals, living services and lifestyle programs to support independent living for seniors.

According to the city, several steps are required before construction can start in 2024, such as finalizing the purchase agreement, lot subdivision and various development and building permits.

“This proposed project is an important step forward in addressing the need for affordable seniors housing in our community,” said Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen.

“We look forward to working with VRS Communities to provide much-needed housing options for seniors and to seeing the positive impact it will have on our community.”

In 2022, the Fort St. John city council approved a Development Cost Charges (DCC) waiver for $754,348 for the development prior to the decision to find a new location.

VRS Communities is a registered charitable and non-profit organization that provides accessible housing and programs to persons with disabilities and seniors.