Key shopping destination in Barrie proposed as location for new residential units

Some of Barrie's newest apartments could be right in the heart of one of the city's premiere shopping destinations.

City councillors met Tuesday for a planning committee meeting highlighting three different developments in different parts of the city.

One is for two new apartment complexes, which could bring nearly 500 new units to an empty lot in Park Place, a south-end shopping destination.

"It is to put some apartment buildings in the middle of Park Place so that people that would live in those apartments would have obviously all the shopping and restaurants around them," says Mayor Jeff Lehman. "But that would be something new. We don't have any residential in the middle of a regional shopping center; not in Barrie yet, but that's the proposal."

The application comes from North American Development Corp. Tonight, councillors heard details of the proposal and heard concerns from residents. Many of those concerns were shared by the mayor, which is adding more congestion to an already busy part of the city.

"The good thing, though, when you mix residential and shopping, the traffic is usually at different times of day," says Lehman. "You've got sort of a morning rush out of the apartments to go to school and go to work; that's really before the shopping day starts, although it can put more pressure on the evening rush. But in general, as a place to live, people will be able to walk to the grocery store, walk to restaurants, maybe even do their shopping."

Lehman thinks it would be good for the city. While the units won't be classified as affordable housing, it will bring additional housing options to the city as it struggles with enough supply.

"Both residential developments, partly because of where they are located in the city and in commercial areas, will probably be at the more affordable end of the spectrum," says Lehman. "The larger picture, of course, is that the more rental apartments get built in Barrie, the more you're easing the supply crunch that is driving up prices."

There were two other development proposals brought forth Tuesday night. One would be for a residential development on Cundles Road near shopping options there and a small townhouse project on Blake Street.

City staff will conduct a technical analysis of the Park Place site and bring a report to council for approval. Lehman suggests that this could be by the end of this year or early 2023.

On Tuesday, councillors also approved a new industrial subdivision in the south end of the city on Lockhart Road. A new recycling facility will be on the west side of a road that will be created, connecting Rossen to Lockhart.

"What's happened in this area of the city over the past ten years, lots of new buildings, lots of new industry, and I think that's welcome in a city that spent decades losing manufacturing; we're now seeing a lot of manufacturing growth in our city."