Old warehouse district to become 1,200 affordable homes

The empty brick warehouses of the Saltworks district will be turned into 1,200 homes, a third of them rented below market price, under a plan unveiled by the city housing office.

Architects intend to keep the facades of the oldest buildings and add a riverside park, a primary school and a covered market hall in the former rope works.

The housing office said the first residents could move in within four years. Local groups welcomed the plan but asked for guarantees that the cheaper homes will stay affordable for the long term.

The district has stood mostly empty since the shipping company that owned it moved to the new container port in the east.

The council will publish the full report on its website this week, and residents can send questions to their local councillor before the next public meeting.

Neighbourhood groups said they would follow the plans closely. "We support the idea, but the details matter," said one resident who has lived in the area for thirty years. "We want to be asked, not just told."

Officials will present the details at a public meeting at the City Hall next Tuesday evening, and residents can …