The other shoe is dropping on a neighbourhood in Barrie’s east end.
Construction has begun on the Shoreview, an 11-storey rental apartment tower on 37 Johnson St. — right behind Imperial Towers, which is also 11 storeys.
Claudia Suhanic’s house on Indian Arrow Road is close to the construction site.
“It’s terrible, it’s a disaster. This is being built on such a tiny piece of property,” she said, while shovelling her walkway. “And we will be putting up with construction for two years. My house was shaking just the other day from that big crane that was tearing up the ground.
“I’m used to looking at green space there. Now it’s going to be 11 storeys,” Suhanic added.
The neighbours and owner/developer Starlight have a history with this property.
In September 2017, Barrie city council supported area residents and unanimously turned down a proposal to develop the residential tower there, rejecting both the Official Plan and zoning-bylaw amendments being sought by Starlight Developments.
At the time, the Barrie East End Household Association submitted a petition with more than 400 signatures from people against the proposal.
Just more than two years later, following an appeal of council’s decision, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT, formerly the Ontario Municipal Board, or OMB) ruled the project is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement on land-use planning, conforms to the Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan and adheres to the city's Official Plan. It was therefore approved.
That was in October 2019, so the project has been slow getting started until recently.
Josh Kaufman, Starlight’s vice-president of development and construction, said work should have started a year ago in the project, but underground parking was a challenge.
“In Barrie, given the high water table, typically you’re seeing a lot of parking occurring above grade (ground),” he said. “Being mindful of the neighbourhood, we wanted to put the parking below grade. We wanted to give the best aesthetic and appeal that we could for the community so that was a big part of it. That was a consistent design element from the beginning.
“That was our way of trying to make sure that we fit in as best as we can,” Kaufman added. “We wanted to really fit in with the community.”
Coun. Clare Riepma, who represents this area of the city, said these efforts are continuing.
“Residents around 37 Johnson are a bit apprehensive,” he said. “Over the past few weeks, they have seen trees cut down on the site and heavy machinery moving in. I have spoken with the builder and they have indicated that they are prepared to address any concerns that neighbours may have and to keep folks updated.
“No doubt this period of construction will be disruptive, but with some good communications, hopefully we can minimize the impacts on the neighbours," Riepma added.
Kaufman said Shoreview will have 215 units in its 11 storeys behind Imperial Towers, which has 192, for a total of 407. There are 189 parking stalls on the total 3.5-acre property now, and with 214 new underground ones at Shoreview the total will be 403.
All 215 apartments in Shoreview will be market rental, Kaufman said, with no affordable housing units.
Construction will be staged, Kaufman noted, so residents in Imperial Towers will be shielded from work on Shoreview. Work is scheduled to end during the first quarter of 2024, he said.
The location of 37 Johnson St., is just up the road from Johnson's Beach in Barrie’s east end.
