Get ready to see significantly more commercial development in Bradford West Gwillimbury.
In the first three months of this year alone, 72 non-residential building permits were issued, compared to 32 by this time last year, according to a report submitted to council.
Of these permits, 20 are for farm building, 26 are for “assembly occupancy,” and 15 are for “mercantile occupancy.”
The report noted a “key player” in the building revenue for the town was generated from MedReleaf’s phase two project.
“There has been significant increase in non-residential occupancies. The growth represents a … $4.8-million gain in construction value,” read the report.
Bradford Deputy Mayor James Leduc said this is good news for the town’s future.
“We have industrial occupancy moving upwards. That’s what we’re looking for — more jobs in our community. That’s a good indicator of that happening,” he said at a council meeting Monday.
Mayor Rob Keffer called the 20 farm-related permits so far this year “amazing.”
“I hope our planning department hears that — how important agriculture is and how they invest in the economy, and … that we don’t put anything in the new (official) plan (for the town) that curtails that activity.”
On the flip side of the building permits report was residential permit requests, which are down compared to last year due to developers catching up on 2017 work, the report read.
“A bulk of the residential permits issued within 2018’s first quarter were improvements submitted by residents,” read the report. “It is anticipated that the Town’s residential development will be modest in 2018 as new water capacity comes on line later this year and new developments, such as Bradford East, begin servicing to refresh housing inventories moving forward.”
