The owners of Albany Retirement Village are taking the first steps to build more seniors housing in downtown Petrolia.

Doug and Helen Simpson purchased the former Oil Rig Restaurant shortly before Helen passed away. On July 7, Doug Simpson will ask Petrolia Council to rezone the property from general commercial to residential to allow for the redevelopment of the property for a single-story apartment building according to the notice from the town.

Simpson says until the rezoning is in place, he’s not prepared to say a lot about his plans. However, he has been thinking about what is needed and what is affordable in a post COVID-19 era.

“I just don’t know what people are going to be able afford to rent and we designed this and we have covered parking – everybody wants but they can’t afford to pay for it?”
And he says the building he’s planning will have ways for seniors to remain isolated from others when necessary.

“It has a common hallway that goes to a little room for socialization, but with the new way things are going to be done, is there going to be much socialization in the building?”
“So what we’ve done is it’s going to have your own separate entrance to your unit, but also have an entrance to a common hallway.”

The zoning hearing begins at 3:20 pm and will be held virtually. The information to watch the meeting can be found at the Town of Petrolia’s website under agendas.