A new development could help see downtown Bradford become the “heart of the community” civic leaders aim for it be, Bradford West Gwillimbury councillors heard during a public meeting on the issue Feb. 28.
Two eight-storey buildings are being proposed for the property that currently houses Bradford Plaza at 54-64 Holland St. W. Developers pitched the project, which would see a mixed-use commercial and residential condominium development front onto Holland Street West and a residential retirement building be constructed at the rear of the property.
It could be the beginning of the long-awaited and long-discussed transformation of downtown suggested Coun. Peter Dykie.
“It’s going to see a start in getting our whole downtown core revitalized,” he said. “It’s been talked about since the ‘80s, ‘90s, how we’re going to make our downtown core more attractive, more walker friendly and the whole nine yards. This is a start.”
Both Dykie and Coun. Nick Harper alluded to another proposal working its way through the planning process for a parcel of property across the street, however, did not indicate specifically which property nor when they expected it to come before council. The subject of the Feb. 28 planning meeting was first put on staff’s radar with a pre-consultation meeting in 2019.
Celeste Phillips Planning Inc. presented the proposal to councillors on behalf of 1800283 and 505845 Ontario Ltd., two numbered companies that own the bulk of the 1.9 acres. The property owners require a zoning bylaw amendment and site plan approval to construct the two buildings.
The mixed-use commercial/residential condominium building is proposed to be an eight-storey building, featuring first-floor commercial and seven floors of residential units above, comprised of 14 one-bedroom units, 70 one-bedroom plus den units and 28 two-bedroom units. Two levels of underground parking are included for resident use only, alongside above-ground parking for resident and customer use.
The retirement residential building for seniors is proposed to be at the southeast portion of the site, with frontage onto Drury Street when the property is eventually severed. The building would house 98 seniors in separate residential units, with parking planned for 41 cars, at grade.
The zoning bylaw amendments requested by the developer include increasing the maximum height of each building from 18 metres to 25 meters and lowering the parking requirement from 1.75 spaces per unit to 1.25 spaces per unit.
The proposal would replace the main Bradford Plaza and the annex building constructed in the 1990s, which is currently the home of Larry the Liquidator. The original plaza, one of the earliest constructed in the municipality, has been a staple of the downtown core for decades, housing such bygone businesses as It’s Showtime, Red & White Foodmaster and Plaza Home Bakery. Today, Hay Caramba, Bradford Underground Bowl and local staple Dick’s Bargain Barn are among the several businesses that call the plaza home.
It also has neighbours at 200 Holland Ct. Five residents from that development spoke at the meeting, primarily bringing two main concerns to council’s attention.
Malcolm Poudlaw was one of many who discussed parking concerns.
“I think you’re asking for too many cars on that property,” said Proudlaw. “I know in our building, we’re always looking for more space for parking for people who are in there and I’m sure this will be no different.”
A portion of the current parking lot is owned by a third party, Dr.o Jesse Chai, the dentist who owns the building at 76 Holland St. W. While Phillips told councillors the property owners were working together on a solution, Chai seemed hesitant in his comments about what could happen to his parking.
“The parking lot was purchased as a parking lot and this proposal, unless there’s some changes to, would drastically reduce the effectiveness of the parking lot,” he said. “Especially when there’s big events, parking in Bradford has been a big issue… and this project would obviously make it worse, especially if I heard correctly earlier on that they want to cut down the city’s recommended parking spots by about 80 parking spots.”
The developers insisted their preliminary studies indicate the amount of parking they’re proposing is more than adequate for the development, but most of the voices around the table remained unconvinced. Several councillors provided pointed comments about the parking issue during their remarks, including Coun. Ben Verkaik and Deputy Mayor Raj Sandhu.
“Overflow parking happens on that property,” Verkaik said. “We can’t afford to have overflow parking from that property onto the other properties. I think we can’t skimp on parking.”
“Your parking (plan), you need to do some homework on,” Sandhu added.
Mayor James Leduc wasn’t as concerned about the parking issue as his colleagues, given the development’s proximity to downtown businesses and its distance to the GO Train station of about 700 metres.
It could go a long way to promoting the use of non-vehicular methods of transit, he said.
“Parking is an issue, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think we need to have the 1.75 (spaces per unit),” Leduc said. “This is downtown. We need to get people talking about active transportation, using transit, using their feet to get around a little bit…. There are a lot of opportunities for people to get around.”
Gap Lane was another issue of contention for the residents. Named for a former member of the Bradford Fire Department, Gap Lane was the extension of Thomas Street that officially dead-ended at an electrical transformer box atop Rotary Park, but connects to the parking lot at 54-64 Holland St. W, and continues to be used as a cut-through for residents, local and non-local, looking to avoid congestion on Holland Street West.
The town officially closed Gap Lane in 2020 and removed the street sign. Despite signs installed to indicate those cutting through are on private property, the lane remains well-used, and residents at 200 Holland Ct. in particular feel it’s a safety issue to have its continued use enshrined in any approval of the development. They pointed to how emergency services need to use that lane when traffic is restricted on Holland Street due to events, such as Carrot Fest.
Chai saw it from a different, albeit possibly equally important issue, also related to traffic on Holland Street. He called Gap Lane “a lifesaver” for people trying to get home during rush hour in a timely fashion. The increase in residents from the proposed buildings would only make traffic downtown worse, he argued.
Any extension of Gap Lane over to Holland Court would require an agreement with the property owner, Sandhu said, which is something council can’t force, as it is private property.
Council also can’t be the taste police when it comes to the aesthetics of the proposed buildings, but Coun. Joe Giordano was hopeful the proponents may reconsider the exterior façade currently planned.
“When I see these buildings, they don’t scream future; they scream dated,” he said. “Maybe consider a bit of a lift to the façade, to maybe give it more of a future-forward look. We are looking to develop the downtown core, and we have to start right and do it right.”
