Work to move the Waterfront Redevelopment Project forward will impact two temporary municipal parking lots beginning in July.
As part of the redevelopment environmental work taking place by FRAM Building Group (FRAM) at and around 70 Front St. N., temporary Municipal Parking Lots 8 and 12 will be decommissioned effective July 5, 2022. Alternative paid parking is available in Municipal Parking Lots 1, 2, 5 and 10 and free parking is available in the waterfront parking lots (see Key Map). Parking is free daily in all of the City’s public pay-and-display parking lots and on-street parking spaces after 5:30 p.m. and all day Sunday and on public holidays.
“While the parking lots were always intended to be temporary until such a time that development occurred on the property, we understand residents and businesses will have grown accustomed to having them available. Orillia’s downtown is located closely to the waterfront and there are many lots within the downtown that remain available for public parking,” said Mayor Steve Clarke. “We encourage residents and visitors to utilize the alternative parking lots within the downtown or the waterfront lots to visit the businesses within the development area, or alternatively, take advantage of Orillia Transit as a cost effective and convenient alternative to driving.”
In 2018, Orillia Council approved creating Municipal Parking Lot 8, located on Mississaga Street East, and Municipal Parking Lot 12, located off Centennial Drive, as temporary pay-and-display public parking following the purchase of the 70 Front St. N. as the property was not being actively used at the time.
The property was sold to FRAM Building Group (FRAM) as part of the Waterfront Redevelopment Project earlier this year. As part of the sale, the City was able to lease the parking lots for municipal use until such as time that they were required by FRAM. The City has been advised by FRAM that they will require the parking lots decommissioned in order to begin remediation work of the site.
The City continues to investigate other parking options. A Waterfront and Downtown Area Traffic and Parking Study has taken place and is currently being reviewed by staff. The study will include recommendations related to parking for Council’s consideration, such as the number of parking lots, spaces and their locations, along with parking management strategies, such as pricing, timing and availability. It is anticipated that this study will be provided for Council’s consideration within the next few months.
The sale to FRAM is a major milestone in the redevelopment and revitalization of approximately 8.7 acres of strategic downtown waterfront land in Orillia to better connect the downtown and waterfront, bring new residents and job opportunities to the downtown and will contribute to the overall tax base and economic development of the city.
“Businesses and residents in the vicinity, and within our entire community, will benefit in the long-term from the revitalization and reanimation of the area, which will bring more vibrancy to our downtown core including new residents and customers to the area,” said Mayor Clarke.
FRAM will begin environmental remediation of the site commencing this summer. It is anticipated that the first phase of construction (starting with the residential block north of Neywash Street) will begin late in 2023. Redevelopment of the waterfront lands will coincide with the City’s infrastructure projects to realign Centennial Drive (which will begin later this summer) and the extension of Coldwater Street (which is scheduled to begin in 2023).
For more information on the Waterfront Redevelopment Project and the City’s Downtown Tomorrow Plan, please visit orillia.ca/downtowntomorrow. Detailed parking information can be found at orillia.ca/parking.
