Another night at city hall, another plan to build a tower, this one across the street from the downtown library.
A public meeting was held Monday night at Barrie City Hall to discuss a proposal to turn a cluster of properties on Worsley, Owen and McDonald streets into five-, eight- and 20-storey buildings with 307 residential units as well as street-level commercial.
The properties, which include several buildings, residences and a parking lot, are 53, 55, 59, 61 and 67 Owen St., 70-74, 76 and 78 Worsley St., as well as 55 and 57 McDonald St.
A zoning amendment is required to make way for the project, which would include a five-storey podium structure with amenities on the sixth level, as well as an eight-storey building on the north side with seven townhouse units.
The 20-storey tower would be located on the south side with 413 square metres of ground-floor commercial space.
At Monday’s general committee meeting, MHBC Planning’s Eldon Theodore made a presentation on behalf of the developer, Barrie Owen Service.
Coun. Arif Khan asked Theodore what type of residential units the buildings could include.
“It will really be dictated by the market,” Theodore said.
An Owen Street resident said the project would significantly change the makeup of the area, which includes the library, city hall, Service Canada and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
“It’s a dangerous corner already,” she said.
The proposed development could also include more than 300 underground and above-ground parking spaces.
A final concept and recommendation will be brought to council in a staff report. Planning staff are targeting June for the report to be brought to general committee.
