There is plenty of excitement about a major development at 174 West Street South in Orillia.
The former-proposed site for the city’s new recreation centre has been purchased by Accutrac Capital.McLean & Dickey
The company purchased the 22-acre site back in January which includes an existing 52,000-square foot office building.
This purchase is expected to re-energize the City’s West Street corridor and provides for three local knowledge-based businesses to remain in Orillia.
The property was purchased from FLSmidth, an engineering and equipment supplier for the mining and cement industries. FLSmidth will remain as a tenant in the building after the sale. McLean & Dickey Insurance, a long-time Orillia business, will also move into the building to accommodate its growth plans.
“Hats off to councillor Ralph Cipolla and to the City’s Economic Development Office for helping to put all the pieces together and make this deal possible,” said Charles Sheppard, President of Accutrac Capital, which provides financial services for trucking companies across Canada and the United States.
Sheppard had expressed to Cipolla late last year that his company had outgrown its current location at the corner of Peter and Mississaga Streets in Downtown Orillia. The Orillia councillor connected Sheppard and his business partner Ken Judd with the Orillia Economic Development Office.
“The City provided us with a number of options to explore, connected us to the folks from McLean & Dickey and things unfolded pretty quickly from there,” said Sheppard. “We’re very thankful to the City for their help and we’re looking forward to growing in Orillia for many years to come.”
McLean & Dickey has also outgrown their current two locations on Laclie Street, and are working with city officials in an effort to find a larger home.
“There seemed to be a fit with the needs of all three local companies, so it made sense to try to connect the dots,” said Dan Landry, Orillia’s Economic Development Manager. “The net outcome is that three local firms will solidify themselves in Orillia, and it paves the way for the further potential development along the West Street corridor moving forward.”
This development fits in with the long-term goals of the City’s Downtown Tomorrow Plan, which suggests anchor developments around the downtown core and near Orillia’s waterfront will help to increase development potential and residential density in the City’s core over time.
Both Accutrac and McLean & Dickey expect to add several knowledge-based jobs to their growing companies, while FLSmidth Ltd. will remain an Orillia fixture for the foreseeable future.
Additional renovations are under way to the building, that will see McLean & Dickey and its 46 employees move in by the spring, while Accutrac and its 25 workers will follow in April.
There are no immediate plans for additional development on the site. However, staffs in the City’s Economic Development Office have already been fielding inquiries.
