‘It’s legendary’: Exeter readies for 2,100 home building boom

Exeter readies for the construction of 2,100 homes as an infrastructure project to increase the town’s water capacity is set to begin. Scott Miller reports.

Exeter is getting ready to grow, thanks to millions of dollars from the provincial government.

“It’s called the London Road South trunk sewer project. Once that pipe goes into the ground, which we anticipate to be done this year, that will allow up to 2,100 new homes to be built on the south end of Exeter,” said Municipality of South Huron Mayor, George Finch.

$5.3 million of the roughly $7.5 million project, that will extend a trunk sanitary sewer pipe to the southern edge of Exeter, will be covered by the province, through the Housing Enabling Water Systems Fund. South Huron has about 4,500 homes right now, so adding 2,100 to Exeter, the municipality’s largest centre, would be town and municipality changing, says Finch.

“When you think of how many people that would bring to the community, now, they’re not going to be building homes tomorrow or next week,” he said.

“There’s going to be land acquisitions, planning applications to come through and whatnot, but the potential is huge. When you think of the number of people that will come here, the impact it will have for the community, the positive impact will have on the economy. It’s just something… It’s legendary, quite honestly.”

Exeter’s expansion is part of $40 million being invested in Huron-Bruce for water and wastewater infrastructure projects that will allow for the construction of nearly 5,000 homes.

“There’s a lot of activity, a lot of phone calls taking place right now to see what is possible,” said Finch.

“So, we’re looking forward to working with any developer that wants to come to South Huron, to continue their success, and our success. We’ll work with anyone.”

Huron County’s own projections predict South Huron will add 70 homes per year over the next 25 years, leading Huron County in population growth and housing starts up until 2051.

“Once that sewer pipe goes in, then that will allow those 2,100 new homes to go in,” said Finch.

“You have to have this infrastructure first to make it happen. The water capacity is there. And now the wastewater will be the next project. And like I said, that will be done hopefully by the end of this year. And then let’s see where it goes. The future is bright for South Huron.”