There’s a new butcher coming to Bradford, but the shop needs a meaty investment to transform it into a prime location.
Council approved $36,358.75 in Downtown Community Improvement Plan (DCIP) funding for Decano Meats at 95 Holland St. W. Unit 6, based on a report from Michael Kemp, marketing co-ordinator for the town, during the regular council meeting on Tuesday evening.
Located at 95-105 Holland St. W., Baccilieri Plaza is a three-storey, 11,000-sq.-ft. building with retail shops on the ground floor which is zoned C1 for core commercial and rental apartments above.
According to the report, applicants Martin Cotarelo and Nicolas Aguirre Acosta have leased the former dog grooming studio and are planning a $178,550 renovation to transform it into a butcher shop, with the town funds broken down into three parts:
- $9,800 under Program 1: Building Exterior Grant
- $25,000 under Program 2: Building Interior Grant
- $1,558.75 under Program 3: Fees and Permits Grant
Funding eligibility varies across the programs from 50 to 75 per cent of costs with maximum amounts ranging from $15,000 to $25,000.
The applicants estimate the exterior work will cost about $19,600, including, $3,700 for a new front sign and $15,900 for an upgraded front entrance to accommodate a power-assisted, widened doorway for accessible entry and exit.
The interior work is estimated to cost about $158,950 and set to include a complete interior demolition with $33,000 for plumbing, $26,000 for electrical, $14,000 for HVAC and $15,000 to replace the uneven flooring.
To accomplish all of that, the applicants have spent about $2,078.33 on building permits.
Ward 4 Coun. Joseph Giordano said he’s “super excited” and looking forward to seeing the new shop open, but wasn’t in favour of the funding for the interior renovations.
Council approved the funding without further discussion.
Originally created in 2012, the current grant-based version of the DCIP was approved by council in April 2022 with the goal of encouraging private investment in the downtown, especially in updating older buildings to help promote intensification, infill and redevelopment.
According to the report, the program had $469,767.53 worth of funding in reserve as of Jan. 1, 2024, and is expected to make $264,480.10 worth of payments for previously approved projects, leaving $232,668.10 available for the year, which is down to $189,609.35 after council approved this application and $6,700 for another.
In December, council approved putting the DCIP program on hiatus throughout 2024, meaning no new applications would be considered, but previously made applications could still proceed to come before council.
