A million square feet of industrial will be coming to a corner in south Barrie, and with it, the city anticipates hundreds of jobs.
Mayor Alex Nuttall tossed out 500 jobs when asked Tuesday at a news conference on Bayview Drive near Big Bay Point Road, where work has begun to clear the property for development.
"We have a lack of industrial supply," Nuttall acknowledged. "We need to make sure every little piece that's available is being invested and turned into jobs."
The new development at 80 Big Bay Point Road will include a mix of industrial and commercial space,
Representatives from The Rinomato Group of Companies (RGC), which purchased the property nearly three years ago, were on hand for the announcement.
The goal is to begin construction of buildings in the first quarter of next year, according to RGC co-founder TJ Rinomato.
Rinomato also anticipates the project will create hundreds of spin-off jobs in the construction trades.
He says multiple manufacturing firms are calling from all over the place and realize there is something to be had by investing in Barrie.
"The cost of land south of Highway 7 has become ridiculous," says Rinomato. "People are realizing that a good work pool exists up here, and with all the housing units that are being built in Barrie and all the contemplated highrises that are going to be coming to the downtown core, then we need real jobs for these people."
This is the first project in the city's ecological offsetting which will ensure that for every tree that is taken down, there is another planted in Barrie.
Nuttall stressed the importance of bringing new jobs to Barrie so people who live here can also work here.
"You think about the folks driving down Highway 400 every day spending anywhere from two to four hours in their vehicles, and it's not with their family. We want to make sure with all the growth we've seen in housing that we have jobs available for folks, so they can spend that time in the morning and in the evening with their family. We want a complete community where people can live, work and play."
