Another crane in the sky in Barrie.
This time in the area of Highway 400 and Bayfield Street as the Sky Towers project was officially launched on Friday afternoon. This is a massive development going up on the former YMCA property at 22 and 26 Grove Street W.
Phase 1 should be completed by late 2026/early 2027 and will have two towers, 25 and 27 storeys, with 32 affordable housing units.
Greg Jones, President of Skydev, part of the Skyline Group of Companies, heaped praise on the City of Barrie for ensuring this project would get off the ground.
"We saw at a time when interest rates tripled, construction prices went through the roof, supply chains were disrupted, the city held a roundtable with the industry and asked what could be done to encourage investment in Barrie," noted Jones. "They put policy into motion."
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall said the municipality provided $6.7 million from the city's community improvement plan which was directed to the affordable housing units.
"We know affordable housing units aren't going to get built by market," Nuttall said. "They just don't make sense financially for a business, so where we can influence that and participate, we are going to."
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra praised the effort to get more housing built in Barrie.
"Our government will continue to remove barriers, cut red tape, and reduce costs to get shovels in the ground faster," he stated.
The location of the Sky Towers project is something Nuttall campaigned on when he was seeking the job of mayor.
"I said that I was going to encourage intensification along our highways, around our transit hubs, and in our downtown."
Doug Downey, MPPP for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte echoed the mayors comments.
"Our communities are growing, and having projects like the new Sky Towers project reflects the need for urban density along our growth corridors."
Jason Castellan, Skyline's Co-Founder and CEO, noted the collaborative efforts of all project partners, as well as the City of Barrie and Government of Ontario.
"With Barrie's vacancy rate of just 2.7% in 2023 and a current total rental market of just over 4,000 suites, this investment is a big step forward in attracting more residents and workers to the area, while supporting the city and province in meeting their housing targets."
Future phases will see a third tower at 29 storeys built and a 9-storey building for an additional 387 suites.
The Phase 1 project will include an indoor/outdoor central rooftop amenity space overlooking the waterfront; electric vehicle (EV) charging stations; a pet spa; kitchen, bar, lounge and games room as well as a gym and yoga facility.
