Did you know that a developer community benefit payment was what got the Freeman Station project off the ground?

News 100 yellowBy Staff

March 1st, 2018

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Thanks to the generosity of their sponsors and donors, Friends of Freeman Station has raised to date over
$600,000 toward the restoration of Burlington’s historic Freeman Station. They need $200,000 to finish the job, and would like to get that in place this year.

Freeman - view from the south - volunteers needed

The Freeman station as it stands today is the result of a lot of sweat and generously donated dollars.

The project is three quarters complete, and we are anxious to finish so visitors, including school children, can benefit from viewing the many aspects of the completed station.

There will be an amazing interactive educational diorama, artifacts and the beautifully restored 1906 railway station itself with its historic displays, and the charming main floor small group meeting space fulfilling a growing need in the City.

The first $50,000 of this last phase push for donations will be matched by the City of Burlington. This means your donation will be doubled. This matching funds offer, is for a limited time, it is important for you to donate now.

The scope of the restoration work can be seen - lots of work to be done. willing hands ready to do it. Give the Friends of Freeman a call - they will keep you busy for the next while.

Those stones were originally ballast in ships that came to Canada from Scotland. They are now part of the station.

A popular form of donation is to sponsor a whinstone for $100. Whinstones were ballast in sailing ships, and originated in Scotland in the 1800’s. They formed the dado wall around the station when it was built in 1906 – they have now been put them back in place. They can be dedicated to anyone or anything you like, such as family members, or a business.

Also naming rights are still available for many parts of the station. As an example, for a $250 donation, your name or dedication could be placed on a piece of freight on a baggage cart, or for a $500 donation your dedication could be placed on a crossbuck. Sponsorship of large items, such as the very visible signal tower, is also available.

Please contact us for a complete list of available naming rights.

It is easy to donate. Just go to the Website www.freemanstation.ca, go to the Donors page, and follow the prompts. Or put a cheque in the mail to the address below. Charitable tax deductible receipts are issued for all donations over $25.

The conductor has called out “All Aboard”. Please climb on board the train and help us steam ahead to reach our goal. You can send that cheque to: Friends of Freeman Station, PO Box 91536, Roseland Plaza, Burlington, ON L7R 4L6

Strata

It was Community Benefit money from the Strata development that helped the Friends of Freeman begin the process of saving the station.

With all the doings at city hall about the kind of development that is going to be permitted and where those towers are going to be located and what will there be in the way of community benefits – it is useful to remember that part of the Molinaro community benefit that was part of the height and density given for the construction of the Strata went to the Freeman Station.

Staff at the time said Freeman could only have the money if the station was located downtown. They wrote a memo to council to that effect saying the station couldn’t have the money because of the Fairview location.

Ward 2 city Councillor Marianne Meed Ward did some research and found the original document council passed did not restrict the donation to a downtown location. She presented that to council and the station got the funding – $25,000

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1 comment to Did you know that a developer community benefit payment was what got the Freeman Station project off the ground?

  • Joe Gaetan

    When it comes to Community Benefits all that glitters is not gold and one has to ask who really pays for these benefits, the developer or the future residents of the building? The community benefits for the Strata development were as follows, $75,00 for Public Art Reserve Fund, $25,000 for the Freeman Station, shouId it be located within the vicinity, $250,000 for all costs associated with construction of a surface parking lot facility at the N.E corner of Elgin and Brock Ave (coincidentally located across from a former and future Molinaro project), and $125,000 to provide a waterfall feature having a minimum value of $125,000 of which 50% would be attributable as a community benefit.
    The sum of the community benefits was about $475,000. Oddly enough upon takeover, the residents of the Strata had to purchase their Geo- Thermal system at an extra cost to the residents of over 1 million dollars.
    Developers like any business cannot afford to give away money, so one way or another they will attempt to recoup all costs that go into a project, and they have few options, one is to charge more for each unit another is to pass the costs along in some other way.