The business of a commerce park
By Chris Simon

There is a need for sustainable jobs in Innisfil, and a proposed Alcona development could provide them, says a representative from Pratt Development.

The proposed Alcona Commerce Park, which sits on a nearly 100-acre stretch of land south of the 9th Line, would bring about 1,650 retail and 700 additional commercial jobs to the area.

It was originally proposed to town council in 2006. However, developers and town staff have been awaiting the completion of Simcoe County's growth management plan before proceeding. The plan is scheduled to be finished by June. After that, the town will have one year to conform to county policies, before staff can approve any large-scale development. However, Pratt Development project manager Hugh Johnston says the town needs the jobs that would be created by the proposed project as soon as possible.

"This is an excellent opportunity for Alcona and greater Innisfil," he said. "It's going to be mixed business and retail use, and it's going to have a larger retailer located there. It's a nice fit with the other development in the area; it will become a nice corridor."

Pratt Development project manager Hugh Johnston looks over plans for a proposed retail and business park development in Alcona.

Johnston hopes construction can begin within the next two years, with the entire project completed three to five years after that.

"We're not going to be able to do anything until the county finishes their growth strategy. Then, we still have to wait until the town updates their Official Plan," he said. "The province has made it hard for settlement boundaries to expand, it has to be municipally initiated."

If completed as proposed, the project would include 800,000 square feet of retail and business space. Once finished, it would be designed similar to the Commerce Park and Bryne Drive area in Barrie. It could include room for a big box retail store, as well as smaller office and retail space. The project would also complement any future Alcona and large-scale Innisfil Heights development well, said Johnston.

"We want to get people's (businesses) out of their garages, and we're committed to building and starting the business park. We want the little guys to have somewhere to expand their business," he said. "People are driving into the south end of Barrie to buy everything they need. In our opinion, this will keep them from going to Barrie, and bring people from the surrounding area to Alcona. It'll help the other (area) businesses; they'll make it a one-stop shop."

The project would also be easily accessible, with entrances through the Leslie Drive and Webster Boulevard extensions, and the 9th Line and 20th Sideroad, said Johnston.

And few obstacles are left in the path of the project. Although there is provincially significant wetland and a ravine on-site, development will be built around the sensitive natural features, he said.

"We think it'll go ahead as proposed," said Johnston. "There's a ravine and a wetland ... and we think we've got town staff convinced that the best option (to reroute) Leslie. The (Official Plan) settlement area is the only hurdle we see."