FreshCo is expected to move to its new location on Hanes Road sometime next summer (2024). It is expected to be joined by other retail components such as drive-through restaurants, confirmed Claude Doughty, a principal with Sanford Investments Corp which is in the process of finalizing the sale of an estimated five acres to the developer.
Sanford owns about 83 acres to the southeast of the Centre St N-Hanes Rd intersection. Part of those lands, just over seven acres, have been donated for the redevelopment of Fairvern. Fairvern is set to take ownership of the lands at the end of this month.
Doughty said Sanford is putting in the infrastructure for roughly 40 acres around the Farivern lands, which can be developed as multi-residential. “The previous owners had it as single-family residential. We’re changing it to multiple residential… my goal is that there be more affordable housing in that area.” Asked whether Sanford would be developing the lands, Doughty said “at this point in time Sanford owns the land and we’re putting in all the streets and infrastructure for the development–both the commercial stuff and the multiple residential. We may sell some of the multiple residential to other builders who want to do different things and we may do some ourselves.”
The road infrastructure involves a new public road through the property which would connect the existing Shay Road to Centre St N. The new road would also connect with an extension of Ott Drive to the south of Hanes Rd. The existing Shay Rd exit onto Hanes Rd would eventually be closed.
“We have plans to sell the property directly across from the ambulance station on the South side of Hanes. There will be one more parcel right at the Southwest corner of 60 and Hanes and we have no plans for that yet. We have to finish Shay and Ott construction first,” explained Doughty.
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“Affordable” as in Rent-geared-to-income I hope….not holding my breath but if this town wants to hav workers who actually stick arnd thats what theyll build. Longterm rental thts NOT for the mega wealthy.
Jst saw tht a bachelor aprt (ONE small rm with a bathrm) dwntwn above a business near brunel/main st is $1300/mnth!!
For minimum wage earners thts nearly ALL of their pay for the month (and a LOT of responsible, hardwrking and mature peopl are wrking for tht right now).
Give your heads a shake landlords, what u want is UNFAIR!
The prep work will be paid for by the District of Muskoka, which has hired an architect from Toronto for the redevelopment of Fairvern on the donated lands. The road will be paid for by Sanford Investment Corp.
no answer to who is paying for the pep work at the proposed Fairvern site?
There will be a 13 acre greenspace left between the new Freschco site and Fairvern that will extend all the way across the property to highway 60. You can see the north edge of it now as you drive along Hanes near the Ambulance Station.There is a walking trail across the greenspace that will connect from the Freshco Site right down to the corner of Sabrina Park and Iris Streets just north of West Road. The trail will cross a significant developed park just east of Fairvern as well. We will work with the Town to make it multipurpose. The Architects for Fairvern were really happy to hear that this park will be so close to Fairvern. The trail will make it easy for those who want to walk to the grocery store from the affordable housing areas to the grocery store. Paisley Avenue will be the new street that exits from Centre Street just south of Fairvern and it will extend over to Shay next to Highway 60 and that will provide a second access to the residential to improve connectivity and reduce traffic.
As a point of interest you may have noticed that the traffic lights at Hanes and Centre street that we installed recently work better than other traffic lights. They have radar heads on the posts that monitor traffic and adjust the length of time one waits to go when there is no traffic crossing the intersection in the other direction. This is much more efficient and significantly reduces unneccessay wait times and wasted fuel.
The pedestrian movements are also tied into this computer. A roundabout that was considered would not provide this pedestrian assistance and safety.
Thanks
Please leave a treed area as park land for everyone in Huntsville to enjoy.
A wild area with winding paths.
Develop the perimeter and leave the rest.
I am curious about the cost of developing the Fairvern site. They have been blowing rock since the donation and making roads. If the donation included this preparation. Great , if not who is paying (we the Taxpayer). It may not have been a good choice for the home
In talking about planning why cut two entrances in the beautiful boulevard. Could not a service Rd have joined the two lots. Lost trees
It will be an area looking for a traffic jam
-Hanes road has entrance to Beer Store – Ott Rd. All close to Center Street
-Center Street has west road, entrance to Tim Hortons, entrance to Fairvern, entrance to FreshCo and cross rd at Hanes
Just curious
“…that there be more affordable housing in that area.” MORE affordable housing?
I do so hope that there will be ONLY affordable housing – affordable in that average wage earners/pensioners can buy/rent much needed safe homes without having to sell their firstborn child, or choose between food, medicine, heat, clothing to pay the rent/mortgage.
Many of our local businesses are short on employees. There’s a reason. They cannot afford to rent or buy in this area (or most any other city or town for that matter).
The dream of purchasing a home is pretty much pie in the sky for many people. Even finding an affordable apartment is a Mitty.