Facing stiff opposition, London building owner withdraws homeless hub proposal in city's south

A London property owner has withdrawn his proposal to bring a homeless support hub near the intersectionof Wellington and SouthdaleRoadsafter pushback from people living in the surrounding area.

The announcement came Wednesday beforecouncil'sPlanning and Environment Committee voted to allow Ross Rainsto turn the building into a commercialplaza,but stopped short of including a provision that critics said could open the door to itbeing usedas a hub.

But even before the vote, Rains said he had abandoned his earlier hopes to host a hub.

"We have turned the page on hub use and are pursuing other uses [for the property]," saidRains, the owner of Olde School Professional Properties Inc. In an email to CBC News Wednesday, Rains said he was"not pursuing hub use any longer."

Rains had announced his intentions inApril,toconvert the vacantbuilding at 743 Wellington Road, which once was a radio station, into a building for possible mixed commercial use,including medical labs, daycare, financial services and, most contentiously, a homeless hub a kind of support facility for the city's homeless.

Rains gave the city a July 1 deadline to approve what he hoped would become the third hub of its kind in London.

Since then, Rains has met with intense pushback,including two petitions sent to city hall witha total of1,381 signatures.

That public pushbackwason displayin council chambers on Wednesday, with neighbours expressingconcerns oversafety,and skepticism over whether a hub would effectively address homelessness.

Londoner Cindy Williams said she'd never seen people in the neighbourhood come together to oppose something in sucha strongway.

Addressing the meeting on Wednesday,Rains criticized the city's"sputtering vision for the homeless," adding, thatthe lack of leadership from city hall helped him to reconsider his offer and he hopes it gets people talking.

"We have two hopes. First,that the needs of the homeless, which are still in crisis, will become a kitchen table conversation across London," Rains said.

"Second,that privateproperty owners and businesses willbe givenclear signals on how to participate in the hub plan."

Elizabeth Peloza, the city councillor whoseward encompasses Rains's property, has vocally opposed his homeless hub in the past.

At Wednesday's meeting, she acknowledged Rains is one of the few property owners in the city who has offered a property to the homeless cause.

"Not many people are stepping forward [to host hubs].I think how we handle this process will set the stage forpotential partners coming forward," Peloza said, adding that innotallowingthe building tohouse an emergency care establishment, city hall "would be sending a signal to the community at large ...that we don't believe in ourownplan."

Members of the public and some councillorsexpressed concerns Wednesdaythat hubssincefallunder the umbrella ofemergency care establishments, the door would still be open for a hub on the property.

According to the city's official homelessness response plan, "hubs should be establishedwithin areasthat haveexisting emergency care establishment zoning."

In the end, the committee voted 4-to-1 to allow Rainsto turn the building into a commercialplaza,but would not permit emergency care on the property.

Councilwillmake a final decisionon Rains's application during their next full meeting.