Crews tearing down former Barrie YMCA building to make way for new project
Demolition crews are dismantling the former YMCA in Barrie to make room for a proposed development.
"We've seen affordability and vacancy at all-time lows across Ontario, and Barrie in particular, is in desperate need of new housing supply, and we're answering that," says Greg Jones, SkyDev president.
SkyDev purchased the land on Grove Street in February to construct residential rental units.
"It will be three buildings. The height limit in the zoning is about 25 storeys with bottom interconnected podiums between the buildings," Jones explains.
Jones expects to submit a site plan application by September. He hopes to have shovels in the ground in one year.
NEW MULTI-PURPOSE YMCA HUB
The Simcoe Muskoka YMCA is developing plans for a new $40 million multi-purpose community hub that will include programs, child care, meeting spaces, a public café and space for a youth centre. A fitness facility will provide transitional beds for at-risk youths.
Additionally, the new facility will host cardiovascular and cancer rehabilitation programs for post-care patients in partnership with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre.
In June, the province invested $29 million in the project located downtown on the former Barrie Central property.
"It's a game-changer for us as we move forward," says YMCA president and CEO Jill Tettmann. "We know there are many needs of youth in the downtown area. The youth transitional housing would be the first in Simcoe County."
With more than 5,000 people using the Y yearly, organizers hope the new YMCA hub will triple its numbers.
Officials hope to be able to open the new YMCA facility in the fall of 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.