Two of the things sorely needed in downtown Huntsville are parking and housing. Ed Wiebe hopes to improve both with a new development.
He was before Huntsville’s General Committee on April 26 with a deputation explaining why he’d like to buy a piece of Town-owned property: to construct a 48-unit apartment building facing High Street with a two-level parking garage below. The parking garage would have one private level to service residents and tenants of the building and Wiebe’s commercial building on Main Street, and another paid level for public parking.
The property he’d like to purchase – 16 High Street – is the parking lot adjacent to the Algonquin Theatre.
Because the land has not been declared surplus by the town, it can’t currently sell it. Committee passed a resolution at the meeting to allow Town staff to open discussions to determine if the property should be declared surplus. They will return to committee with a report for councillors to consider. (*See below for notes on the Town’s land disposition process.)
The development is still in concept stages, but if approved to purchase the land, Wiebe envisions a parking garage, mostly below grade, that would span the area from beside the Algonquin Theatre to Brunel Road. The lower level, containing approximately 72 spaces, would be below the High Street grade with access from Brunel Road; the upper level of parking, which would also sit mostly below grade, would have 68 spaces with access off of High Street. (See the drawings below.) On both levels, Wiebe said that the final parking space numbers could be slightly higher.
The lower level parking lot would be private for residents and commercial tenants
The upper level of parking would be paid public spaces. Some could be available with a monthly pass.
Wiebe suggested that some of the public spaces could be sold as a monthly pass, or that nearby businesses might want to consider reimbursing their customers all or a portion of their parking costs.
In a follow-up conversation with Huntsville Doppler, Wiebe said he estimates the parking garage alone would cost approximately $600,000 to construct. “The town needs it to bring people downtown. The town can’t expand – we need to accommodate and work with what we have.”
Above the parking lot would be one floor of retail space – 18,000 square feet – topped by three floors of rental apartment units. There would be 16 apartments per floor, all with either one bedroom and a den or two bedrooms and a den rental apartments. The building would be set back about 20 feet from Brunel Road, the Main Street buildings behind it, and the Algonquin Theatre, and would front on High Street, said Wiebe.
He has suggested that the first-floor retail space would be ideal for the Huntsville Public Library.
“I know there has been discussion in the past about expanding the library and putting it into rent as opposed to a corporate asset,” said Wiebe. “If the Town is looking to entertain a larger library with maybe an art gallery and a café, I would look for input from the Town to coordinate the design together.” He also said that if the space is occupied by the library, he’d want to explore adding an enclosed walkway to attach it to the Algonquin Theatre.
Mayor Scott Aitchison said that he and Town CAO Denise Corry have had initial discussions with the library’s CEO Deborah Duce and library board chair Sue Dixon. “They were cautiously optimistic about the possibility. They like the idea of 18,000 square feet and were intrigued about not having to raise money to build a new building. It presents an opportunity that’s worth looking at… It’s slightly under twice the size we have now.”
The building’s main floor retail space would be ideal for the Huntsville Public Library, said Wiebe
“I think this is a good opportunity for the town to clean up this corner, provide good retail space and residential housing,” said Wiebe. “And, instead of having this great building with a mess around it, clean up that entire corner.”
*How the Town would dispose of the land
According to the Town’s CAO, Denise Corry, if council does declare the land surplus, under the Town’s disposition of land bylaw council would then need to choose which disposition method it will use.
“The options vary,” said Corry. “They could list it through an RFP, they could list it through a broker of record, they can offer it to an abutting property owner, or they can simply sell it to a member of the public.”
Corry said that she will be speaking with Mr. Wiebe about further details regarding his intended use of the property, including ensuring that any parking rates would remain fair and consistent, “so that in the best interest of the public, that parking lot can be utilized adequately.”
In preparing a report for councillors, she will also speak with all three of the other abutting property owners. “We’ll have discussions with each of those to see if they have any interest in acquiring the land for the same interest that Mr. Wiebe is proposing (a two-level parking garage). If they do, we would have to go out for a public process… a procurement so that each party would have the opportunity to confidentially submit their proposal.”
If none of the abutting property owners have an interest in developing the land as a parking garage, then Corry said the recommendation would be to dispose of the land to Wiebe, in an agreement containing conditions that would be determined through the course of discussions in the coming weeks.
Council would need to determine the appraised value of the property – Corry said that the Town typically uses MPAC assessments for that purpose but there is also a provision in the bylaw that council could take an amount more than or less than the appraised value if deemed necessary. “So, long story short, if council deems the use of that property to be a greater benefit to the community in any way, shape or form, they could potentially dispose of that land for a nominal fee.”
Note: This story has been updated to include the Town’s land disposition process
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Looks simple enough to me,….what a great idea ! A barbershop, candy and general store next to the saloon with western style frontage all conveniently located for the tenants. People who tend to live downtown are of the mindset that this convenience would limit the necessity for a vehicle, hence allocated space for parking per unit could leverage such a venture for both property owner and occupants. However, residence could develop ‘trapped on a deserted island ‘ syndrome with nuisance neighbors, and/or probably regret the day they signed up for such a selfish endeavour. Please Email me further developments on this project as A potential investor.
I swear this town is run by slow learners. We need affordable housing for families as well as single people. I am sorry to say but they are too concerned with appearances. It would be a bloody miracle if they did something to help. I would die of shock.
I think that this is a great first step in the revitalization of our downtown core. I realize that the requisite steps need to be taken so that everyone is happy, but if there is a developer standing there with a shovel in one hand and a bundle of money in another why not take the money and let them develop the property?
Am also wondering where the diagram of the exterior that Ms. Bennett sees is?
I would ask that the outer design of the building keep with the spirit of Muskoka. What is reflected in the diagram looks like it belongs in Toronto’s warehouse district.
In addition to the direct benefits of this development, there could possibly be some ancillary ones as well. Firstly, either High St. should become one-way west from Brunel Rd. to Centre St., or the Brunel/High intersection should be signalized. Secondly, if the library relocates, its present property plus the Empire lot (possibly) could become a very attractive integrated development.
Parking below ground is a risky business in this town. You could be parking in our Muskoka water !!
How about making the apartments 3 bedrooms so that families can actually find a decent place to rent. They are the ones who would like to be downtown.
Other than that, great idea.
Sounds like another done deal to me.
Why not make them 3 or 4 bedroom apartments? Huntsville is needing those more then the others. Or do a floor of 1&2, a 3 bdrm floor and one a 4 bdrm floor. Oh and “hopefully” they would be affordable because $1400 plus is pretty steep to be honest.