Judgement favours City of Barrie in legal dispute over historic train station

An 11-year multi-million dollar legal dispute over the development of the historic Allandale train station in Barrie has cleared another hurdle.

A recent judgment favouring the City of Barrie resulted in the developer being on the hook for damages of more than $1 million to the City and its employees and contractors named in the claim.

Regional Senior Judge Leonard Ricchetti ruled the defendants are "entitled to costs of the action and the summary judgement motion."

Ricchetti called Correct Group Inc.'s (CGI) claim against the individual defendants frivolous, egregious and deserving of sanctioning.

In 2011, CGI filed a $40 million lawsuit against the City, and then two years later, against independent defendants, for breach of contract and bad faith bargaining when the 2009 deal for the historic building and waterfront property fell through.

The City said the site was being reviewed with an archeological assessment and burial site investigation conducted alongside the Huron-Wendat Nation and the Williams Treaty First Nation communities after fragments of human remains were discovered.

Archeologists have found evidence that the land was once a First Nation settlement dating back to the 1600s.

Despite the recent ruling, CGI president Alan Furbacher confirmed he is appealing the initial decision.

"The original decision which said that their claim was without merit," said Acting Mayor Barry Ward.

Meanwhile, the City confirmed the archeological assessment of the lands is underway to give it a better understanding of how best to proceed in the future with developing the property.