U
unimaginative2
Guest
PROPERTY REPORT / MIXED USE
Brantford's newest favourite son?
A hockey legend's hometown pins renewal hopes on $500-million mega-complex
GREG MCMILLAN
Special to The Globe and Mail
BRANTFORD, ONT. -- Memories die hard, especially in Brantford, where residents still talk about the devastating economic hit that occurred two decades ago with the loss of three major employers and the thousands of jobs that went with them.
Plant closings of Massey-Ferguson, Harding Carpet and White Farm Equipment threw the city into a nightmarish tailspin, but plans for a $500-million commercial and industrial mega-complex are making locals forget all the woes of the past.
"We are all hoping this dream becomes a reality," said Dave Levac, MPP for Brantford. "I see this project as being on the edge of some really great things."
Indeed, this city 100 kilometres west of Toronto has been buzzing since Brantford's King & Benton Development Corp. unveiled the proposed development, which will include an industrial park and retail power centre located on a 427-acre parcel of land at Highway 403 and Oak Park Road. The industrial component of the site covers about 300 acres.
Print Edition - Section Front
Enlarge Image
More National Stories
Dion goes on the attack
Built for safety, iron fence leaves tenants feeling caged
Alleged spy ordered deported
Candidates could get loan relief
Ottawa shuts down prison tattoo parlour
Judge assails mother for campaign of 'lies'
Go to the National section
One of the largest single land transactions in Canada this year, the project -- when up and running -- is expected to generate 5,000 jobs. And the size, scope and vision shown by King & Benton has created a stir in Brantford.
If it comes to be, it certainly will be welcome relief for Brantford. By the early 1990s, after the plant closings, and the crippling unemployment that followed, Brantford had become one of the most economically depressed cities in Canada, clinging to the fame of local icons, such as hockey star Wayne Gretzky and telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, as it tried to maintain a positive identity.
But the completion of the Ancaster to Brantford section of Highway 403 in 1997 sparked a turnaround by providing easier access to Toronto and a seamless route through Southern Ontario between Buffalo and Detroit. As well, a lack of space in Toronto and surrounding areas led to the expansion of commercial and industrial construction to the west. Two years ago, Ferrero Group, an international confectionery giant, and Procter & Gamble Inc. took advantage of the convenient location and established production facilities in Brantford.
The new Oak Park complex is considered part of a giant step forward. Steve Charest, president of King & Benton, said the site will include 4.7 million square feet of prestige industrial buildings, an 800,000-square-foot commercial component containing several big-box stores and offices, a hotel and "an aesthetically pleasing village setting that will invite shoppers to sit among the trees, browse and shop to their hearts' content."
Mr. Charest will be announcing the project's global partners and initial tenants within the month.
He said the complex, combined with Brantford's Northwest Business Park on the opposite side of Highway 403, will help to create a new economic hub in Southern Ontario. For example, in 2008, a Toyota operation is scheduled to open in Woodstock, 40 kilometres to the west, and the plant will need off-site support.
Mr. Charest is passionate about the viability and potential for the complex, especially since a power centre has been added to the mix.
King & Benton doesn't want to take business away from existing retail stores in Brantford, Mr. Charest said. Just the opposite: "We want to bring new businesses to Brantford that will keep local shopping dollars in the community."
To assess local public opinion, King & Benton polled residents, asking them to name the kinds of stores they would like to see at Oak Park, so they would not have to travel away from the city to make certain kinds of purchases. Chapters and Costco were the top two responses, followed by Linens 'n Things, IKEA, Old Navy, a cinema complex and a factory outlet.
MPP Mr. Levac, a long-time supporter of King & Benton and its community involvement, said the province has taken steps to ensure upgrading of a Highway 403 interchange will be in place and not serve as an impediment to the project. He pointed out that millions of dollars now leave Brantford and Brant County because of the lack of a power centre. "We could reverse that."
But Mr. Charest explained that keeping shopping dollars in Brantford is only one of the benefits of the proposed complex. He said the creation of jobs would inject $150-million annually into the local economy, and increased tax revenue from industrial and commercial assessment would also have a big impact.
"We're excited about what it means for the community," he said. "We're excited about what it does for jobs, investment and that it provides an opportunity for Brantford [residents] to stand on the roofs and announce 'we're back.' "
Prior to embracing the Oak Park project, King & Benton completed a series of brownfield reclamation projects in Brantford, including one that turned an abandoned 350,000-square-foot Harding Carpet factory into a business centre. Another saw the conversion of a former dry cleaning plant into a YM-YWCA family program centre.
"My favourite business development project is definitely going to be Oak Park," Mr. Charest said. "The residents of this community now know that they can contribute, that they have a voice. That's very powerful stuff and with that realization, we can move forward."
The site is being converted from a 427-acre gravel pit. That process includes redeveloping the uneven land, improving the highway interchange and construction of the buildings, which is all expected to commence in the next few months.
King & Benton has also had to carry out negotiations with the city over water and sewer services, as well as the question of development charges.
Stephen Naylor, director of current planning for the City of Brantford, confirmed that some financial matters, including cost-sharing arrangements, "are still under discussion."
Final agreements are expected to be dealt with shortly. There was some concern from both sides that the process could be delayed if there was shift in power following the recent municipal elections, but those fears were seemingly allayed when Mayor Mike Hancock, who had been dealing with the Oak Park project since its inception, was re-elected in recent municipal elections.
Ron Jansen, associate vice-president for commercial real estate consulting group Colliers International, is a big believer in the positive effect the King & Benton development will have on the Brantford area.
"The province has designated Brantford as a growth area and, in the last five years, the city has had quite a dynamic period," Mr. Jansen said. "There is good momentum buildup and the key to keeping that momentum alive is the King & Benton project. The main positive I see is that it will increase Brantford's diversity. Brantford's accessibility is perfect, both to the GTA and the United States."
And now King & Benton is ready to move ahead.
"This project represents a turning point in Brantford's history," Mr. Charest said. "We can't wait to get going."
By the numbers
Here's how the King & Benton project stacks up:
5,000
new jobs created with an estimated $150-million in payroll
300
acres industrial, including 4.7 million square feet of buildings
80
acres commercial, including 800,000-square-foot power centre and office buildings
4
acres donated to the SPCA by the developer
SOURCE: KING & BENTON
Brantford's newest favourite son?
A hockey legend's hometown pins renewal hopes on $500-million mega-complex
GREG MCMILLAN
Special to The Globe and Mail
BRANTFORD, ONT. -- Memories die hard, especially in Brantford, where residents still talk about the devastating economic hit that occurred two decades ago with the loss of three major employers and the thousands of jobs that went with them.
Plant closings of Massey-Ferguson, Harding Carpet and White Farm Equipment threw the city into a nightmarish tailspin, but plans for a $500-million commercial and industrial mega-complex are making locals forget all the woes of the past.
"We are all hoping this dream becomes a reality," said Dave Levac, MPP for Brantford. "I see this project as being on the edge of some really great things."
Indeed, this city 100 kilometres west of Toronto has been buzzing since Brantford's King & Benton Development Corp. unveiled the proposed development, which will include an industrial park and retail power centre located on a 427-acre parcel of land at Highway 403 and Oak Park Road. The industrial component of the site covers about 300 acres.
Print Edition - Section Front
Enlarge Image
More National Stories
Dion goes on the attack
Built for safety, iron fence leaves tenants feeling caged
Alleged spy ordered deported
Candidates could get loan relief
Ottawa shuts down prison tattoo parlour
Judge assails mother for campaign of 'lies'
Go to the National section
One of the largest single land transactions in Canada this year, the project -- when up and running -- is expected to generate 5,000 jobs. And the size, scope and vision shown by King & Benton has created a stir in Brantford.
If it comes to be, it certainly will be welcome relief for Brantford. By the early 1990s, after the plant closings, and the crippling unemployment that followed, Brantford had become one of the most economically depressed cities in Canada, clinging to the fame of local icons, such as hockey star Wayne Gretzky and telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, as it tried to maintain a positive identity.
But the completion of the Ancaster to Brantford section of Highway 403 in 1997 sparked a turnaround by providing easier access to Toronto and a seamless route through Southern Ontario between Buffalo and Detroit. As well, a lack of space in Toronto and surrounding areas led to the expansion of commercial and industrial construction to the west. Two years ago, Ferrero Group, an international confectionery giant, and Procter & Gamble Inc. took advantage of the convenient location and established production facilities in Brantford.
The new Oak Park complex is considered part of a giant step forward. Steve Charest, president of King & Benton, said the site will include 4.7 million square feet of prestige industrial buildings, an 800,000-square-foot commercial component containing several big-box stores and offices, a hotel and "an aesthetically pleasing village setting that will invite shoppers to sit among the trees, browse and shop to their hearts' content."
Mr. Charest will be announcing the project's global partners and initial tenants within the month.
He said the complex, combined with Brantford's Northwest Business Park on the opposite side of Highway 403, will help to create a new economic hub in Southern Ontario. For example, in 2008, a Toyota operation is scheduled to open in Woodstock, 40 kilometres to the west, and the plant will need off-site support.
Mr. Charest is passionate about the viability and potential for the complex, especially since a power centre has been added to the mix.
King & Benton doesn't want to take business away from existing retail stores in Brantford, Mr. Charest said. Just the opposite: "We want to bring new businesses to Brantford that will keep local shopping dollars in the community."
To assess local public opinion, King & Benton polled residents, asking them to name the kinds of stores they would like to see at Oak Park, so they would not have to travel away from the city to make certain kinds of purchases. Chapters and Costco were the top two responses, followed by Linens 'n Things, IKEA, Old Navy, a cinema complex and a factory outlet.
MPP Mr. Levac, a long-time supporter of King & Benton and its community involvement, said the province has taken steps to ensure upgrading of a Highway 403 interchange will be in place and not serve as an impediment to the project. He pointed out that millions of dollars now leave Brantford and Brant County because of the lack of a power centre. "We could reverse that."
But Mr. Charest explained that keeping shopping dollars in Brantford is only one of the benefits of the proposed complex. He said the creation of jobs would inject $150-million annually into the local economy, and increased tax revenue from industrial and commercial assessment would also have a big impact.
"We're excited about what it means for the community," he said. "We're excited about what it does for jobs, investment and that it provides an opportunity for Brantford [residents] to stand on the roofs and announce 'we're back.' "
Prior to embracing the Oak Park project, King & Benton completed a series of brownfield reclamation projects in Brantford, including one that turned an abandoned 350,000-square-foot Harding Carpet factory into a business centre. Another saw the conversion of a former dry cleaning plant into a YM-YWCA family program centre.
"My favourite business development project is definitely going to be Oak Park," Mr. Charest said. "The residents of this community now know that they can contribute, that they have a voice. That's very powerful stuff and with that realization, we can move forward."
The site is being converted from a 427-acre gravel pit. That process includes redeveloping the uneven land, improving the highway interchange and construction of the buildings, which is all expected to commence in the next few months.
King & Benton has also had to carry out negotiations with the city over water and sewer services, as well as the question of development charges.
Stephen Naylor, director of current planning for the City of Brantford, confirmed that some financial matters, including cost-sharing arrangements, "are still under discussion."
Final agreements are expected to be dealt with shortly. There was some concern from both sides that the process could be delayed if there was shift in power following the recent municipal elections, but those fears were seemingly allayed when Mayor Mike Hancock, who had been dealing with the Oak Park project since its inception, was re-elected in recent municipal elections.
Ron Jansen, associate vice-president for commercial real estate consulting group Colliers International, is a big believer in the positive effect the King & Benton development will have on the Brantford area.
"The province has designated Brantford as a growth area and, in the last five years, the city has had quite a dynamic period," Mr. Jansen said. "There is good momentum buildup and the key to keeping that momentum alive is the King & Benton project. The main positive I see is that it will increase Brantford's diversity. Brantford's accessibility is perfect, both to the GTA and the United States."
And now King & Benton is ready to move ahead.
"This project represents a turning point in Brantford's history," Mr. Charest said. "We can't wait to get going."
By the numbers
Here's how the King & Benton project stacks up:
5,000
new jobs created with an estimated $150-million in payroll
300
acres industrial, including 4.7 million square feet of buildings
80
acres commercial, including 800,000-square-foot power centre and office buildings
4
acres donated to the SPCA by the developer
SOURCE: KING & BENTON