Wasaga Beach optimistic with new partner for beachfront redevelopment project
The Town of Wasaga Beach is optimistic it has found the right company to partner with for the redevelopment of its iconic beachfront.
“Council is very pleased to welcome Stonebridge Building Group to the table, to work with the Town and Sunray Group of Hotels, to reinvent our downtown commercial area and beachfront,” Mayor Brian Smith stated.
The agreement with Stonebridge Building Group covers the portion of town-owned property at Beach Area One between First and Third Streets.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
In a release, the Town noted that it expects negotiations for the redevelopment project that has been years in the making to move smoothly and quickly as many details had already been worked out through the Request for Proposal process.
“Learning from our past experience, council is confident that we are further ahead today than we have ever been. Sometimes you need to take one step back to get two steps ahead. Stonebridge has a solid track record, they are invested in our community, and most importantly, they understand council’s vision and the significance of this project for our full-time residents,” Smith added.
Stonebridge Building Group has a history in Wasaga Beach, having actively invested and built in the town for over 20 years.
“I am confident that we are the right partners to get it done. We believe this project must be designed with the history and DNA of the community front-and-centre. We know it must balance beauty and functionality with sustainability,” said Mark Crowe, Stonebridge president.
“Almost 10 years ago, Stonebridge Building Group contributed $75,000 towards the development of Town’s current Beachfront Redevelopment Master Plan. At that time, this investment was leveraged with investments by the Town and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism,” the Town noted.
The news of Stonebridge taking on the project comes just over a month after the Town amicably parted ways with FRAM Building Group.
The Town said negotiations with FRAM ended after the two sides couldn't reach a financial agreement that aligned with expectations. Key sticking points included disagreements over land value and project phasing with Beach Area 2.
Next steps include the Town entering into partnership agreements with Stonebridge and Sunray Group of Hotels - a hotelier the Town signed a Letter of Intent with to bring a hotel to the beachfront.
The Town expects to have shovels in the ground by spring.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Words carved into bullet casings, police sources say amid search for gunman in shooting of U.S. CEO
Investigators are searching for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk, then disappeared into Central Park.
AI modelling predicts these foods will be hit hardest by inflation next year
The new year won’t bring a resolution to rising food costs, according to a new report that predicts prices to rise as much as five per cent in 2025.
Congo government says it's 'on alert' over mystery flu-like disease that killed dozens
Congo’s health minister said Thursday the government is on alert over a mystery flu-like disease that in recent weeks killed dozens of people.
'Kids are scared': Random attacks have residents of small-city N.L. shaken
Mount Pearl, near St. John's, has been the scene for three random attacks in November. Police have arrested and charged seven youth.
Canada Post stores continue to operate during strike — but why?
As many postal workers continue to strike across the country, some Canadians have been puzzled by the fact some Canada Post offices and retail outlets remain open.
DEVELOPING School bus cancellations in parts of Canada due to wintry weather
School buses are cancelled in parts of Canada Thursday as wintry weather moves in during the first week of December.
'It was like I was brainwashed': 2 Ontarians lose $230K to separate AI-generated cryptocurrency ad scams
Two Ontarians collectively lost $230,000 after falling victim to separate AI-generated social media posts advertising fraudulent cryptocurrency investments.
Canada's new public-sector payment system is still years away from being implemented
After half a decade of testing and an investment of nearly $300 million, the federal government is still years away from fully implementing its next-generation pay and human resource cloud platform to replace the problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system.
Gunman may have targeted California religious school in shooting that wounded 2 kindergartners
Two children were in 'extremely critical condition' after being shot at a tiny religious K-8 school in Northern California and the gunman died at the scene, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, police said.