Downtown Barrie could soon be taking hotel reservations.
In conjunction with an as-yet-unnamed hotelier, a developer/landowner would like to build a hotel-condominium complex at the intersection of Dunlop and Mulcaster streets.
The project would also need to incorporate underground parking below neighbouring Sam Cancilla Park.
The developer has purchased 149-153 Dunlop St. E., and is preparing applications for the property to build an 18- to 19-storey hotel-condominium complex with ground-floor commercial space.
Although no formal application has been received by the city to develop the site, a preliminary concept suggests it could include approximately 132 hotel rooms as well as 93 residential units.
The city has a “long-standing vision” for a downtown hotel development, dating back more than a decade, said Stephannie Schlichter, director of business development with Invest Barrie, a city department which also includes the department of culture and a focus on the downtown.
Councillors will hear Invest Barrie’s presentation on the hotel plan at Monday night’s general committee meeting.
“A downtown hotel would be very beneficial for the downtown businesses and local events,” said Craig Stevens, managing director of the Downtown Barrie Business Association. “A visitor needs to eat, be entertained, shop and be social. All of these elements are within walking distance of a hotel in the downtown core.
“Also, a waterfront hotel is an attraction on its own, (so) the entire combination presents a truly beneficial opportunity on many fronts,” he added.
Stevens said he thinks the location is a perfect fit.
“With all the events, entertainment, culture, food and shopping opportunities we have all within a short walk to a beautiful waterfront, it only makes sense to have a hotel for visitors to enjoy as well,” he said. “Many times, it’s a tourist visit that creates a new resident. The economic ripple effect of this opportunity is far reaching.”
The hotel company’s name remains confidential until the developer has completed development of the site, a requirement of their arrangement with the hotelier.
According to city staff, the developer also has a long history in downtown hotel developments with a ‘global brand’, and they have been looking at Barrie as an opportunity to provide a downtown hotel in conjunction with residential condominiums.
Part of that plan would involve underground parking below Sam Cancilla Park (155-157 Dunlop St. E.), property the city would still own if the project goes ahead.
Although the proposed development would include the required amount of parking, due to the lot size, configuration and proximity to the waterfront, more parking would be needed.
The ‘park-over-parking’ model, which has not been used by the city before, could be one way to address those needs, with underground parking beneath the hotel and Sam Cancilla Park.
Examples of park-over-parking include Ontario Square, Nathan Phillips Square and Village of Yorkville Park in Toronto.
Sam Cancilla Park would be rebuilt once the parking structure is constructed. It would also give the city a chance to improve the park and could include consistent grading which would align it with Dunlop Street, as well as improve access to the North Shore Trail and the waterfront, Schlichter said.
While more investigation is needed to determine the exact configuration of a parking structure under the park, preliminary estimates have identified 100 to 200 parking spaces.
