The developer of a south-end Barrie highrise aims to hit its affordable housing target.
Tran Group’s rezoning application for 667, 669, 673 and 675 Yonge St., approved Aug. 16 by city council, will permit the building of an 11-storey, mixed-use development of 249 residential units and ground-floor commercial use on 1.36 acres fronting both Yonge Street and Montgomery Drive.
“They are committing to hitting their 10 per cent of affordable housing target … That number is 25 units,” said Coun. Sergio Morales, who represents this part of Barrie. “It’s encouraged that you hit your number, but you don’t have to.”
“That’s incredibly important, probably the most important piece of the entire affordability issue we are seeing,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall.
The city has a goal of 10 per cent affordable units in all new developments.
Morales said this Yonge Street development has changed with the years, and for the better.
“Initially, the proponent came with eight storeys. They finished with 11. There are 23 more net units,” he said. “We’re getting more units. We’re building the heights that we need to.”
Vincent Tran, who made a deputation to council, said the changes go back even further.
“Originally, this whole project was supposed to be townhomes,” he said.
Morales also successfully amended the rezoning motion so a minimum of 50 per cent of the ground-floor building frontages in the development, abutting public streets, will consist of commercial or institutional uses.
“We want mixed use in these buildings on Yonge Street, on our corridors,” he said.
The property is being rezoned from residential single detached dwelling first density to mixed-use corridor, special provision.
The special provisions include a building height of 36-and-a-half metres where 25-and-a-half metres is allowed, decreasing the minimum setback to an underground parking structure and changes to maximum side-yard setbacks, minimum exterior side-yard setbacks and rear facade step-backs.
Last April, Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved Barrie’s new Official Plan (2023). In the new plan, this property is designated medium density and is located along the Yonge Street intensification corridor in a strategic growth area. In this designation, building heights should be a minimum of six storeys and a maximum of 12 storeys, and densities shall be in the range of 125 to 300 units per hectare.
If the minimum density target can be met, building heights of less than six storeys are permitted.
