A Riverdale apartment building that has been home to seniors for nearly 60 years is getting a dramatic makeover, one that its backers say could become a model for affordable housing across Canada. The work under way at the Ray McCleary Towers, in Toronto's East End, is an ambitious attempt to modernize an aging tower without forcing out the vulnerable tenants who depend on it.
The team behind the retrofit describes the approach in vivid terms, likening it to putting a giant winter coat over a residential tower. Workers are wrapping the building in prefabricated panels created in Canada, essentially insulating the structure from the outside in order to keep the heat in, drive down energy bills and cut the tower's carbon emissions.
The goal, those involved say, is to turn the building into a net zero property that produces no carbon dioxide while still providing good housing for its residents. Alongside the new exterior insulation, the project adds full-building air conditioning, dehumidification and a high standard of indoor air quality, along with direct ventilation into each individual suite, something the building did not have until now.
What makes the effort especially unusual is that the people who live there will not have to move out while it happens. The building houses more than 160 senior tenants, many of them described as very vulnerable and very low income, and the retrofit has been designed to let them remain safely in their homes with as little disruption as possible during the construction.
Those behind the project frame it as a more sustainable alternative to demolition and new construction. Compared with building something entirely new, they argue, sustaining what already exists and bringing it up to a state-of-the-art standard is substantially more affordable, while preserving housing that low-income seniors can actually rely on.
The work is backed by federal funding aimed at making affordable housing more energy efficient, and those leading it call it a first of its kind. Beyond the insulation and mechanical upgrades, the retrofit also includes structural repairs and safety improvements, as well as the addition of rooftop solar panels to help power the building.
Supporters say the human element has been central to the project. Organizers pointed to a strong relationship with agencies in the neighbourhood and to a tenant representative who works one-on-one with residents on a daily basis, keeping them informed as the work progresses. Residents, they said, have been closely engaged, understanding the long-term gain of a building rebuilt to last while they stay in place.