Prominent Barrie Businessman Urges the City to Make Changes to the Billion Dollar Housing Project at Old Fair Grounds.

Just five minutes from Barrie City Hall, one of the city's largest developments is proposed at the old fairgrounds. The land is surrounded by Highway 400, rail tracks, and mostly single-family homes. Greenworld Construction, which owns a 55-acre plot at 175 and 199 Essa Rd. and 50 Wood St., plans to develop 4,054 residential units. These will include high-rises, mixed-use high-rises, townhouses, and commercial spaces, along with a designated school block.

Last week, Barrie City Council voted to forward the zoning proposal to the province for consideration under the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator (CIHA) process.

Craig Busch of Vision Barrie and Busch Systems raised concerns about the proposed development of the fairgrounds property. He highlighted issues like school land allocation confusion and the impact on the curling club. Busch criticized the focus on short-term projects over long-term community benefits, arguing the current plans, featuring six to ten-story buildings and elevated green spaces, do not foster community engagement. He advocated for a development strategy that prioritizes ground-level community spaces and urban villages, calling for a pause on the project to reassess its direction towards creating pedestrian-friendly, livable spaces. Busch emphasized the importance of sustainable urban planning to maintain Barrie's unique community feel, prevent negative impacts on safety, property values, and the environment, and promote a high quality of life.

Norman Speake, representing the Barrie Curling Club (BCC), stated that the club is not opposing the proposed development but expressed concerns regarding the new Community Improvement Plan (Chia) process and its implications for the city once it's reviewed by the province. He highlighted unresolved issues between the BCC and the developer, particularly regarding the club's footprint in the development plan. Speake thanked local government officials for their recognition of the BCC's value to the community and their assurances of continued support despite the development challenges. He emphasized the need for flexibility in planning to accommodate potential changes and stressed the importance of cooperation among the developer, the curling club, and the city to ensure the club's survival and continued self-support. Speake called for a collaborative approach to resolve outstanding issues, underlining the club's desire to remain self-supporting without incurring additional costs due to the development.

Ryan Windle, representing Digram Developments on behalf of Greenworld Construction Inc., expressed support for forwarding their zoning proposal to the province for consideration under the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator (CIHA) process. He emphasized the project's alignment with strategic growth and densification objectives, highlighting its potential to add over 4,000 housing units near Allendale Coast GO Station. The project aims to address various strategic priorities, contributing to the provincial housing initiative and the City of Barrie's housing pledge, promoting affordable housing, transit expansion, and pedestrian-friendly communities.