Proposed Bracebridge Townhome Project Aims To Tackle Muskoka's "Attainability Problem"

Just east of Bracebridge's downtown sits a prime plot of development land soon to accommodate 36 new three-storey townhomes from developer SEAN Homes. The modern farmhouse-style houses are set for 121 Woodward Street, just past a meandering branch of the Muskoka River, which bisects the charming cottage country town.

The exciting infill project, intended to provide more housing options for Muskokans, plans to tackle attainability and sustainability through innovative measures including increased energy efficiency and a co-ownership program.

Sean Mason of SEAN Homes — a long-time Barrie-based developer known for building net-zero-ready and Energy Star homes — set his sights on Bracebridge after noticing a substantial lack of reasonably-priced housing options in the region. "Muskoka definitely has an attainability problem. There’s not a lot of market-rate housing being built in areas like that," Mason tells STOREYS. "The contractors up there are doing $5 million cottages, whereas, really what you need is housing for the people who are building the cottages."

The "resort-inspired" pre-constructions, which are selling in the high 500s, have received draft plan and zoning approvals, with a site plan currently under review. Once approved, SEAN Homes hopes to welcomes occupants by late-2025.

Future occupants of 121 Woodward will enjoy a contemporary farmhouse exterior, polished finishes within, eight- to nine-ft. ceilings, a shared bocce ball court, ping pong table, an outdoor café-style sitting area, and more. But the development's real appeal is its attainability and value.

121 Woodward Street/SEAN Homes

121 Woodward Street/SEAN Homes

121 Woodward Street/SEAN Homes

A key part of the development's appeal are the 19 townhomes that offer legal apartment suites, making it easy to rent out or share ownership — a path to affordability that Mason has made easy to attain. "People are [co-owning], but it's not really popular because it’s kind of confusing," he says. "How do you handle the bills? How do you handle the mortgage? Stuff like that. So our co-ownership program basically just makes it easier." On top of providing a framework and in-house assistance for deciding on a co-ownership route, whether it be tenants-in-common, joint tenants, or corporation, the inclusion of legal apartments in roughly half of the homes means that the physical groundwork for co-ownership has already been laid for occupants as well.

At the same time, Mason says, the legal suites can also simply be a place to house Grandma and Grandpa, or accommodate other multi-generational living situations. The overall effect of the co-ownership program and legal apartment offerings is that buying one of the townhomes becomes easier, more affordable, and a more valuable investment.

The other key factor driving affordability, as well as overall appeal of the development, is Mason's emphasis on building truly efficient net-zero housing.

Having built Canada's first occupied Energy Star home in Barrie in 2005, Mason is no stranger to the sustainable housing game. “We’re known for doing some pretty innovative energy stuff […] If Canada, and the world, have any hope for meeting our carbon emission goals, a large part of it will be housing," Mason says. "I believe that when you have the ability to do a better job, you have the responsibility to do a better job."

Similar to housing developments SEAN Homes has completed throughout Barrie, the Bracebridge community will be powered by a renewable energy source and feature high-efficiency, Energy Star products. Each home will be fitted with an air-source heat pump, fibreglass windows with low-solar heat gains, and sealed with AeroBarrier — a product that fills all the nooks and crannies where heat escapes, which diminishes the efficiency of a home and drives up utilities.

“One thing people don't think about is: they could buy a house, but how does it operate afterwards? Are you spending $1000 a month on heating?" says Mason. "In ours, you’re not doing that at all."

So, in a way, the high energy efficiency of the homes also contributes to their relative affordability, already improved by the co-ownership program and legal apartments.

Another plus is that the development has been designed with community in mind. Based on principles of new urbanism, the pocket neighbourhood design facilities community cohesion. “This is going to be a very cohesive community for a certain type of buyer who is looking for attainability, energy efficiency, savings, and value, put together in a way where they can actually know their neighbours," says Mason.

Zooming out, the project is located just outside of downtown Bracebridge, affording it close proximity to the town's vibrant array of shops and restaurants, as well as schools and institutions. Meanwhile, occupants would be situated in one of Ontario's most attractive regions, home to a plethora of hiking and sightseeing destinations, golfing, and more.