People gathered this afternoon for the official grand opening of McQuesten Lofts on the corner of Parkdale Avenue and Barton Street.

The affordable housing development also includes a library. McQuesten Lofts and the Hamilton Public Library (HPL) Parkdale branch opened last year but no celebration was possible due to the pandemic.

There was a pretty big turnout of people from the community and residents who live there, for an outdoor ceremony and tours of the building.

McQuesten Lofts was built by affordable housing developer Indwell.

The building features 50 one-bedroom apartments and sits beside another Indwell affordable housing building that was built back in 2018. The whole development is called Parkdale Landing.

Ten units in the lofts are being set aside for Indigenous tenants and the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre is providing support for tenants.

The new library branch is inside the building for residents who need access to a computer or other services offered by the library.

Rent is considered deeply affordable meaning people on ODSP or a similar level of income will be able to afford to live in the lofts.