A controversial housing project in Waterloo’s Bridgeport area is officially heading into construction after years of planning hurdles, regional water delays and pushback from long-time neighbors. Property owner and local entrepreneur Kurtis McBride has secured all required building permits to redevelop 240 Vermont St. The proposal involves severing the original single-family lot into two separate parcels to build a total of seven living units. The proposal also includes a pool and an underground connected basement between dwellings and stacked parking. “A home for myself and my family, and then we’re integrating rental units in it, doing our part to help the housing shortage that we have,” McBride told CTV News. A divided neighbourhood The project has been a point of contention on Vermont Street since initial plans surfaced in early 2024. At the time there was a petition signed by residents who lived in the neighbourhood. Nearby residents previously opposed the development, citing environmental and safety hazards. Neighbour Ed Bennett, who has lived on the street for ten years, points to the property’s location at the top of a steep slope adjacent to public steps used daily by students heading to nearby Bluevale Collegiate Institute. “Most of the neighborhood feels pretty awful about it because it’s at the apex of a hill with water that flows both directions,” Bennett said. “They’ve taken out all of the trees. The canopy of the trees really helps protect the erosion of the soil going down that very steep slope.” Bennett added that the removal of natural vegetation and plans to add concrete structures, driveways, and stackable garages could lead to severe water runoff issues and increased traffic on the quiet residential street. “Children traverse these stairs on a daily basis, as do adults, as do seniors,” Bennett said. “It creates a huge danger to have the excess water that we predict will flow from their property because they’ve taken away the natural vegetation, and they’ll be covering it with concrete.” Bennett believes the new addition won’t blend well with the other homes in the neighbourhood and will be a headache to live near. “We think there’s going to be a lot more vehicular traffic because all of the things associated with a stackable garage,” Bennett said. “We’re really proud of what we’re building” McBride said he’s been working closely with neighbours and believes communities must meet modern housing needs. “We’re really proud of what we’re building. It’s got lots of support from the neighbours, but there certainly are neighbours that would love for the community to stay the same forever. I think the nature of communities is that they evolve,” McBride said. It wasn’t an easy road to get to the building stage. “It took about three years to get through the planning process initially,” McBride said. “And then now with the delays due to the water shortage that we have in Waterloo. It’s been a real journey to get to the point where we can build a home to live in.” With permits issued, construction is expected to take approximately one year to complete. In the meantime, at the site, a neighbouring resident pointed to message written on a wall blocking off the construction area: “Thank you Dorothy [McCabe] and council for showing you care more for developers than your citizens – all about $.”
