The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka could lay down its cards for a new downtown Barrie community hub next month to city councillors.
The Y has made a presentation request about potential plans for a new facility at the city-owned H-Block property, alongside the Barrie Public Library's downtown branch, and to discuss municipal support for the project at either the Nov. 15 or 29 general committee meetings.
Jill Tettmann, president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, says the evaluation process is continuing.
“At this time, we have not yet purchased the property as we need to understand best if it meets the needs of the community and is a feasible site to build on,” she told BarrieToday. “At this time, we are not looking into any other sites.”
Tettmann said the YMCA is committed to building a new hub in downtown Barrie and provincial funding of $29.9 million was key in moving the project forward.
“Our meeting and presentation to city council will be about bringing them up to speed on the project,” she said. “As a not-for-profit charity, it is important that we are committed to working with the city as a partner as this project will be critical in the redevelopment of our downtown.”
In late June, council gave its legal staff authority to negotiate an agreement of purchase and sale with the YMCA for 50 Worsley St., long called the H-Block, which is a little less than two acres. A sale price and closing date were to be worked out.
At 77,000 square feet, the new YMCA facility is to include licensed child-care spaces, a youth centre with transitional housing and outreach support, a rehabilitation space for cardiac and cancer post-care patients, and recreation areas for fitness programs.
Funding for the Y facility will come from a variety of sources.
In the early summer, the province announced $29.9 million in funding. Prior to the pandemic, in the fall of 2019, the Y launched its ‘100 Reasons Y’ fundraising campaign. There will also be funding from the County of Simcoe.
Proceeds from selling the Y’s former Grove Street property are to go toward the new downtown facility, Tettmann said. The Y announced in August 2020 that it was not financially viable to reopen the Grove Street facility, given its age and the impact on the Y as a result of the pandemic.
The latest plans for 10-24 Grove St. W. show an Official Plan amendment and rezoning approved by council in October 2017 and the bylaw approved by council the following March 26.
What’s proposed there is the development of three buildings of 21, 25 and 25 storeys, along with an eight-storey midrise building and a five-storey parking podium for a total of 924 residential rental units.
A new YMCA facility had long been part of HIP Developments’ plans at Bradford Street and Dunlop West for a project that includes two 20-storey towers, one 10-storey residential building, a semi-public urban parkette containing the heritage facade of the former Prince of Wales school and a five-storey parking structure. There would be 600 residential units on its nearly seven acres.
But those plans changed with the possible location of a supervised consumption site (SCS) right around the corner from the HIP site, at 11 Innisfil St. An SCS provides 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 HIP project’s final site plan still requires city council’s approval. It is to include moving the buildings to front onto Bradford Street, where the new Y facility was to be located — so there was no longer room for a new YMCA.
