The exterior of Morrisburg’s new Morris Glen Court apartment complex leaves no question that it is still under construction, but as cladding and masonry is added in the coming months, the appearance will change quickly. Tinkess Photo

MORRISBURG – Early next spring, occupants are expected to start moving into the new building that is part of Morrisburg’s Morris Glen Court, located on County Road 2 near the community’s eastern boundary. That the 17-unit project is approximately two months ahead of schedule was even better news.

On Fri., Nov. 22, members of the media and local and county officials and administration members were given a tour of the complex by Joe Bartolo, the president of DC and F Corp. Construction Management. Bartolo told the group that the project was moving well, and how happy they were with the people they had been working with in the area.

“You know, I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. We’re very pleased to be working with everybody,” said Bartolo. “This is a very good community, and good people and efficient people to work with, at all levels across the municipality, in the region.”

“The courtesy and professionalism that we’ve experienced from the staff, everybody involved in the project has been exemplary, right? And that is one of the things that allows us to be efficient, keep ahead of schedule, keep the costs down and just move things along in a nice, progressive manner.”

One Facet of the construction that has helped it to move along so quickly is that much of the framing is prefabricated off-site. This allows the building to be built up and closed in sooner, which allows mechanical systems to be installed and other trades to start their portion of the project sooner.

With the project two months ahead of schedule, it is on track for completion by February or March, weather permitting. Following normal protocols, that would mean that residents could be moved in during the approximately 30-day period following approval for occupancy.

The 17-unit project will have 12 rent-geared-to-income units and five units available at market rent prices. The building, which is three stories in height, will have five two-bedroom units on the ground floor with six two-bedroom units on the second and third floors.  Four of the apartments on the ground floor units will be barrier free.

The building comes with a price of nearly $8.8 million dollars.

The building currently under construction is the first of two that are planned for the property, which is owned and operated by the City of Cornwall’s Human Services Department. The city operates social housing throughout SDG Counties through a shared services agreement with SDG.

Bartolo made a point of explaining that the company is taking full advantage of local suppliers and the local workforce.

“I’d say a good chunk of the supply, I don’t have the exact figures; I do back at the office, is actually all local supply and the vast majority of your local trade,” said Bartolo. “So, you really are employing everybody within your local communities on this project, which is good, because it’s important. Listen, I know what the track in this area is, generally speaking, and working on this project for the length we have now, and there could be more of this coming up in the future.

“It’s important for us and for your community as well, to have that local trade base built up, a local supplier base, because that’s really who we’re relying on to do a lot of the heavy lifting and get everything done here. So, Cornwall writ large, and the region writ large has been very good to us from everybody, from, you know, plumbers and masons all the way up to the municipality. So, we appreciate that very much.”

The shared services agreement creates an interesting dynamic, with some in Cornwall questioning why they should pay for housing in the counties when they have a need for more housing themselves. South Dundas Mayor Jason Broad commented that what benefits one, benefits them all.

“Certainly, any new work, new housing in the region is a benefit to all of us,” said Mayor Broad.  “We’re all competing for tax dollars, of course, but it’s really important overall.”

Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale expressed his agreement. “Anything that really happens in SDG benefits all the communities of SDG and Akwesasne,” said Towndale. “I give this is one of the examples of partnership we have with SDG, and in this case, South Dundas. It’s great partnership. This is a project that we’re very proud to be a part of, regardless of where it sits in SDG.”