HIP Developments has halted its multi-million-dollar plans in downtown Barrie.
In a statement confirmed Tuesday night by BarrieToday, the Waterloo-based residential developer says the proposed supervised consumption site (SCS) at nearby 11 Innisfil St., endorsed by city council in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, is the reason.
“We don’t believe this is the correct location for the community and we were not consulted by the city or the proponent," said HIP Developments president Scott Higgins. "We will be reviewing all legal options available and as of right now our continued investment in the project will not proceed until further consultation and clarification meets with our satisfaction.
“This decision has halted a $250-million investment in Barrie and the jobs, taxes, levies and needed rental apartments that came with it," he added.
The SCS would provide a safe space and sterile equipment for individuals to use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of health-care staff. Consumption means taking opioids and other drugs by injection, smoking, snorting or orally.
The Innisfil Street site still requites approval from the province, which would fund the SCS, and Health Canada.
At the former Barrie Central Collegiate site — 34-50 Bradford St., and a portion of 125 Dunlop St. W. — HIP Developments plans to build two 20-storey towers, one 10-storey residential building, a three-storey YMCA, a semi-public urban parkette containing the heritage facade of the former Prince of Wales school and a five-storey parking structure. In all, there would be 600 residential units on the nearly seven-acre property. Its final site plan still requires city council’s approval.
But Coun. Keenan Aylwin, who represents this part of Barrie, said Tuesday night it’s a fluid situation.
“From what I understand, there’s a meeting (Wednesday) morning with the city’s development services department and HIP to discuss their concerns,” he told BarrieToday. “I’m hopeful that we can work through this considering the pressing need for the SCS as an emergency response in our community.
"We will have more information for you tomorrow," Aylwin added.
In a letter Monday to Couns. Gary Harvey and Mike McCann, city council’s only two opponents to the SCS site, Joel Doherty, HIP’s vice-president of real estate and development, said he has concerns about the proposed SCS location.
“First, we would like to say that we are very sensitive to this serious crisis facing many cities in Ontario presently and we understand that help is needed for those with addiction issues,” he said. “Having said that, in the near term we will be looking to invest substantially in our Barrie Central site and begin marketing nearly 600 much-needed rental apartment units in the downtown core.
“We do have concern with a safe consumption site (SCS) locating at 11 Innisfil, adjacent to our new community and what impact that may have on the many residents and families we hope to attract to our core area site, our public park and our parking facility,” Doherty added. “We are also concerned to learn that the proposed SCS may be located in close proximity to the existing neighbourhood and its daycare services, and businesses that provide services to children and teenagers.”
Doherty said a thorough site selection and evaluation process should be completed for all proposed locations to consider the impact to surrounding property uses, current and future, property owners and visitors to Barrie.
“We trust this process is being followed, and includes input from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, the Downtown Barrie BIA, the Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce, advisory committees and citizen groups,” he said. “Finally, we strongly encourage council to include a long-term prevention plan, security/police presence and a zero-tolerance policy for unwanted persons surrounding any SCS, in efforts to address this significant health issue in our community.”
Council's endorsement of the proposed site includes a number of conditions.
The application for the proposed SCS at 11 Innisfil St., would be endorsed with an understanding that the health unit and Canadian Mental Health Association Simcoe County Branch (CMHA) would work with the city to address fencing, landscaping, access, security cameras, discarded needle collection boxes, appropriate property standards and property maintenance measures at the site.
An SCS advisory committee would be established, as would a security plan and/or a needle sweep plan, along with any related neighbourhood integration matters.
The CMHA and health unit would provide annual reports to council and city staff would report back on the progress of the above matters.
The search for an SCS location was carried out by the lead applicant, the CMHA, and the health unit, as co-applicant, along with the SCS site selection advisory committee.
The health unit announced a few weeks ago that 11 Innisfil St., had been identified as the proposed location for an SCS. It would be operated by the CMHA and funded by the province.
The province will determine the SCS’s location, but city council was asked for a motion of support, for that specific location, for the application to the province to go forward.
Once the SCS applications go to Health Canada and the province, it could be six month before there’s an answer.
Health Canada’s application includes a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) exemption that allows staff with the SCS to have the ability to test and handle drugs without any criminal sanctions.
The search for an SCS in Barrie has gone on for about two years. At one point, 90 Mulcaster St. was considered, in June 2019, but was ultimately rejected. A site selection advisory committee was struck in the fall of 2019, did searches that year, during the spring of 2020 and the winter of 2021. There were also community surveys before the Innisfil Street was chosen.
