By Pepper Parr
May 8, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The sun rises in the East.
Is that sun going to shine on the Skyway Plaza in the east end of the city?
A plaza that has a very run down at the heals look to it just might be getting the kind of attention it needs – if the location does get re-developed will it be the kind of mixed use that many want to see?
The place isn’t quite derelict but there are more retail locations empty than occupied and the place just doesn’t look very busy.
The city has been trying for some time to work with the owners of the property but ward 5 councillor Paul Sharman couldn’t get his phone calls answered.
Former city manager Jeff Fielding was prepared to do a deal that would involve the Skyway arena just behind the plaza – but there was no buzz.
There are changes coming – the Economic development Corporation has been able to do what Sharman couldn’t do – and there are now reported conversations taking place with architectural renderings being prepared.
It is now very clear that the new team at Economic Development are able to make things happen.
Can we expect an announcement in the near future?
By Way of background:
Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman has been doing everything he can since he was first elected to get something going with the Skyway Plaza, but has gotten absolutely no traction with the absentee owner of the property.
Sharman has made phone calls – dropped into offices in Toronto – nothing.
Frank McKeown, then the Mayors Chief of Staff explains a concept to Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman. McKeown is now the Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation and seems to have revived the hopes of re-developing the Skyway Plaza in the east end of the city.
At one Standing Committee meeting in 2014, then city manager, Jeff Fielding suggested the city could pool the property it has to the rear of the plaza and come up with a major development opportunity. What would it take to get to that point, asked Sharman? A staff direction would get us started, replied Fielding.
The city began looking at what are called Community Improvement Programs (CIP). At the city council meeting back in July of 2014 Councillor Sharman put forward a motion that few saw before it was actually presented but it got passed and resulted in the following Staff Direction:
DIRECTION REGARDING LAKESIDE PLAZA
Direct the Director of Planning and Building and request the Executive Director of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation as follows:
Prepare a series of re-development options for the site based on intensive mixed use re-development and approach the owners of the property with the redevelopment plans; and
Investigate and report on the authority available to permit the use of incentives for re-developing the site, and
Provide an estimate of the resources needed to prepare and implement a Community Improvement Plan.
If the arena just behind the Skyway Plaza were rolled into any re-development of the area there is the potential to create the kind of community modern planners are advocating.
No one in Halton has done a CIP in more than 20 years; no one seemed to know all that much about the things – until Councillor Meed Ward informed Council that the downtown development group knew all about how they worked.
Back in the 70’s and 80’s the provincial government made some money available for CIP type projects – but that tap got turned off.
All this looks like it is now coming together – and the east end of the city might see some sorely needed development. The city does need a win.
Hi Pepper.
Hoping this get me back to being a subscriber again.