Highrises could be coming to central Barrie in a big way.
Public meetings are scheduled for later this month that could lead to six towers of largely residential development in the Innisfil Street, Essa Road, Jacob’s Terrace area.
At 41 and 43 Essa Rd., Tonlu Properties wants to develop four buildings of 20, 29, 35 and 37 storeys for 1,276 residential apartments with ground-floor commercial fronting Essa Road and Innisfil Street.
Tonlu needs to rezone the land from light industrial and central area commercial to transition centre commercial with special provisions, which include reducing the commercial use requirement to five per cent, increasing the height, a decreased setback from the railway, reduced side yard setbacks and removal of the general requirement to comply with the residential zoning provisions for apartment dwellings.
The project is a collection of properties located in the Allandale neighbourhood, generally bounded by Innisfil Street, the Barrie Collingwood Railway (BCRY) and Essa Road, both west and east of Innisfil Street and southwest of the railway tracks.
The rezoning application was made Oct. 19 and is under review by city staff, while site-plan control is pending for the rezoning.
The public meeting for the rezoning application is scheduled for the planning committee meeting of Nov. 23.
Tonlu also wants to develop two residential towers of 24 and 26 storeys with a total of 565 residential units, along with a four-storey garage podium, at nearby 17 and 27 Jacob’s Terrace. To do so, it requires a rezoning from light industrial to transition centre commercial with special provisions, such as reducing the commercial use requirement to zero, an increase in height and decreased setback from the railway.
The public meeting for the rezoning application is also scheduled for the planning committee meeting of Nov. 23.
And at 272 Innisfil St., an unnamed developer is proposing the redevelopment of almost 1.73 acres for a 17 storey apartment building, with a townhouse podium, for a total of 164 residential units. It’s to consist of 154 apartments and 10 townhouses at the southwest corner of Innisfil Street and Jacob’s Terrace.
The rezoning of this property to allow this development was approved in 2020, and site-plan control is pending.
Coun. Jim Harris, who represents this part of Barrie, has noted this area is designated as part of the urban growth centre and is in a major transit station — Allandale Waterfront GO Station, Allandale Transit Mobility Hub — area as well.
