Nearly two and a half years and counting.
That’s how long ago a huge SmartCentres residential project received site-plan control for its first phase at 51-75 Bradford St. and 20 Checkley St. in downtown Barrie, which remains unbuilt.
“I agree that any delays are unfortunate and something that no one wishes to see,” said Coun. Craig Nixon, who represents this part of Barrie. “This development, like several major projects, is critical to not only revitalizing our downtown core, but is needed quickly to increase (housing) supply which will hopefully ease the demand, and will result in a return to more stabilized pricing.”
Officials at SmartCentres, based in Vaughan, has not responded to phone and email messages from BarrieToday.
That first phase of this project is to be 25 storeys, 233 rental apartment units, 145 hotel suites, a restaurant and an environmental protection area, along with a temporary parking lot on property to be the development’s second phase. It was essentially approved by the previous city council in June 2021.
And in the previous January, council rezoned and redesignated (an Official Plan change) these same 8.6 acres so towers of 41, 38, 35 and 25 storeys high could be built by SmartCentres, with a total of about 1,700 residential units, hotel rooms and commercial space.
Yet you’d be hard-pressed to see much sign of that development in the first few days of 2024.
“Many developers have been reluctant to proceed with approved plans due to higher costs of materials, labour and interest rates,” Nixon said. “I hope that they (SmartCentres) find a way to proceed with either existing plans or something revamped which is more conducive to what buyers are looking for in today’s market, which is much different than it was two years ago.”
SmartCentres, on behalf of Barrie Lakeshore Developments (Greenwin Barrie and a numbered Ontario company), submitted applications to develop a mixed-use project on this property between Lakeshore Drive and Bradford Street.
The project also includes a parking garage, open space and environmental protection land. This means public corridors linking it to existing natural features such as the Bunker’s Creek Ecopark and Kempenfelt Bay.
A significant portion of the site has been identified as a floodplain, according to city staff, and subsequently zoned and designated to reflect the floodplain limit, Bunker’s Creek watercourse and the contributing feature area.
In addition to co-ordinate the project details with the ongoing capital project for the rehabilitation of Bunker’s Creek, re-naturalization efforts and a trail link from Bradford Street to Lakeshore Drive have been included in the project.
SmartCentres was on city councillors’ agenda just last month when they took no action and just received a Nov. 29 motion to extend a temporary-use bylaw to permit agricultural use on 15 Harvie Rd. for another three years. The bylaw had to be renewed by Oct. 31 or it was null and void.
Mayor Alex Nuttall said council couldn’t ask Barrie homeowners to pay more taxes in 2024 and “be giving corporate tax breaks out to massive real estate corporations.”
The application to extend the temporary use bylaw was submitted by SmartCentres RET, on behalf of Barrie-Bryne Developments.
Property taxes on this land were $8,250 last year, when it was zoned agricultural. With the extension not granted, the land will be re-assessed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) as zoned for light industrial, general commercial and environmental protection (EP) use.
Craig Millar, the city’s chief financial officer and treasurer, estimated the difference in taxes with a zoning change is a range of anywhere from $50,000 to $175,000 plus.
Coun. Gary Harvey, who represents the area, has said he has great difficulty giving a multi-million-dollar developer a break on taxes when Barrie residents don’t get one.
Council rezoned 15 Harvie last August to permit commercial and light industrial uses along Highway 400, to the east of the Bryne Drive extension, and 155 residential units in the form of semi-detached dwellings and townhouses, as well as two blocks for mid-rise apartment buildings, a school block and a public park, to the west of the Bryne Drive extension.
Mark Resnick from SmartCentres REIT has said it would be a phased development, subject to market conditions, and there is a requirement for consultation with First Nations representatives for a portion of this property.
