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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.