At Regular Council meetings, Councillors are asked to provide reports in their role as coordinator. At Monday’s meeting, Councillor Nicole Beatty, Coordinator of Planning and Development Services, gave a full report on activity in the Planning Department. Some projects are slow getting through the process but there are a lot of them for a small town. So if you wondered what happened to that development you heard about, this article (and a second one in a couple of days) will provide an update. Nicole’s report is divided into 1) Subdivisions, 2) Site Plan Approvals, 3) Heritage and 4) Special Projects. This first article will cover Site Plan Approvals and their status. Many have been the subject of previous articles – links are provided to these.
Sobeys Foodland
New Supermarket at 990 Division Street.
Site preparation and Foundation work has commenced.
More on Cobourg News Blog: Two major projects up for Site Plan Approval and Download Site Plan Approval Documents (pdf)
Brook Road North and King Street East Commercial Development:
New plaza including a Tim Horton’s
Site servicing and prep work has commenced, and construction on the new Tim Horton’s has begun.
More on Cobourg News Blog: Tim Horton’s coming to East End
Legion Re build with Condos on Hibernia
Final interior work continues. Once the Legion is complete and occupied, the existing Legion will be demolished and converted into a parking lot for the Legion this Summer. Some owners have already moved in but construction on the Club space on the ground floor continues. Photo at right on 18 May 2021. This development generated considerable controversy and included an appeal by the developer to the Ontario Municipal board which he won. A progress report on the build is available here. Move-in was originally expected for mid 2019.
Cobourg Creek Lofts (415 King St W/ former Cobourg Star)
26 unit conversion of the former Cobourg Star building at corner of Tremaine Street.
Final paperwork and registrations are nearing completion to permit construction to commence.
More on Cobourg News Blog: Two developments progressing
University Terrace (96 University Avenue, west of Victoria College):
10-unit townhouse enclave
Construction on this is nearing completion and final condominium registration documents have been executed.
Loadstar Trailers (Dodge Street, Lucas Point Industrial Park):
Medium sized manufacturing facility for Loadstar Trailers on Dodge Street.
Construction has commenced.
Golden Plough Lodge Re-development
Construction on the internal site services and foundation has commenced.
Update on Golden Plough
Balder Corporation Mixed Rental Building (University & William)
71-unit mixed affordable/rental apartment building
Construction has commenced – majority of the work so far is site servicing and the underground parking garage and foundation.
Northumberland Mall Outbuilding
Strip Plaza on Elgin with Starbucks plus Giant Tiger in Mall.
Construction is nearing completion but is currently on hold since it is deemed non-essential construction under the Provincial Order. The new Giant Tiger store is deemed essential construction, has been stocked and will be opening soon (they originally said May)
Starbucks coming to Cobourg
Coast Guard Re-Development
New building at East Pier entrance for Coast Guard.
For a second time the tender for construction has been posted with the new tender closing set for May 20th New Coast Guard Building approved.
Holiday Inn Express Hotel (west of Home Depot)
New 82 Suite Hotel
On hold pending resolution of sanitary sewer and stormwater management issues.
More details on new Hotel provided at Public Meeting
SmartCentres Commercial Development (Strathy Rd and DePalma Drive)
Construction on the new PetSmart and Homesense was well underway before the Provincial Order which halted non-essential construction.
Parkview Hills Augusta Court (295 Densmore Road)
Six, single storey, four-plex buildings for a total of 24 units
Construction is nearing completion.
Affordable Housing Solutions (82 Munroe St)
Construction on this 36-unit mixed affordable/market rental apartment building is nearing completion.
Report on adjacent similar building at 86 Munroe Street here
Elgin Park Rental Housing Re-Development (Northumberland County Housing Corporation)
County project to convert and upgrade 18 subsidized housing units to 40.
Re-zoning and Site Plan Approval has now been granted by Council. Final details and paperwork are being worked out in order to permit the 1st phase of the re-development to commence.
Northumberland Hills Hospital (Burnham St and DePalma Drive)
The re-zoning to add “medical clinic use” to the list of permitted uses for the vacant parcel at the south-west corner of Burnham St and DePalma Drive has now been granted by Council. No word on any development of this site.
Beachwalk Flats (179-185 Division Street at Albert St)
A mixed commercial and residential development with two buildings.
After a public meeting, the applicant is reviewing feedback. Major concern is insufficient parking.
More on Cobourg News Blog: Two re-zonings requested
Joshani Homes Infill Development (296 George St):
New application for a 20-unit apartment/townhouse infill development at 296 George Street (at Buck St)
Canadian Centre for Addictions (420 Division Street):
As a result of public hearings, a staff report on minimal exterior changes will be brought back to Council on May 31st;
More on Cobourg News Blog: Council approves re-zoning of Woodlawn Property
Rondeau/Tribute Sales Centre
A major development (Villages of Central Park) at Elgin and Brook is planned. 1500 to 1700 homes in six phases with the first phase of 144 to 216 homes on the north side of Elgin just west of Brook. But first, a sales centre is required and that must be planned and approved. The staff report on this will be brought back to Council on May 31st.
More on Cobourg News Blog: Two developments progressing and Cobourg’s East End continues to grow
In addition to the above, the Planning Department reports that it continues to convene regular pre-consultation meetings with numerous prospective developers and applicants on many proposals across the municipality.
We hear that one of the reasons for high Home Prices is a lack of supply. It looks like Cobourg is helping solve this problem.
Watch for a second report which will cover Subdivisions, Heritage and Special Projects.
Links
Print Article:
The Legion Condos street presence on Hibernia is an embarrassment. The kind of treatment you would expect on the backside of a building that faces nothing, not on street. They have at least planted 3 trees, but they are deciduous, and will do nothing to block that fortress looking wall for half of the year. Just awful.
I guess you would have to blame the Legion for not wanting bigger window
Compare the current look to the original drawing which is available in the link in the description above. The original had structure along the wall that is now blank.
Is the once proposed grocery store (plus a restaurant) for the corner of King St. E. and Willmott St. a dead issue now or will be covered in Part 2 of this series?
It’s not mentioned.
1500 to 1700 new homes to be built is a lot. More and more people are moving here from the city and on top of that we have all the city summer beach people.
Is Cobourg really ready for all the people moving here, buying up these new houses and bringing their vehicles and family with them? King Street is already very busy and parking downtown is challenging. I am worried our lovely little town won’t be able to handle it.
I doubt many of those city folk would have much reason to go anywhere near downtown anyway. They will travel in their SUVs from their suburban enclaves directly to shopping centers and/or nearby towns where there’s a Costco and a Leon’s and an Ikea and such.
No need to worry about our desolate little downtown.
The Problem as I see it is that most of this is not New Business
If the Truth be known most of these projects are old News that have been Bogged down in
RED TAPE for yrs . In fact several projects have not been announced as they are now in the hands of 2nd or even 3 rd owners as the original proposers got fed up ran out of $$$ or could no longer see a profit at the end of the tunnel . IE. Tim Hortons , Gas center east King 4.5 yrs
on a property that already had the services and zoning Joshani Homes at William 2 owners latter and 10 yrs then George st 3 Owners latter , Cobourg East Rondeau 7 yrs or more
Cobourg Creek Lofts 10 yrs and 3 owners latter – 1 Bankruptcy still 2 yrs away
Holiday Inn 4 yrs and never ending red tape .
This in NOTHING to be Proud of Cobourg . and this from a Council & Councilor that campaigns on efficient , sustainable and Affordability . I think Not Time is Costly
Sandpiper–I don’t disagree with anything you shared. I’m sure if any of us had one eye on a developer’s bank account & one eye on a clock/calendar over the past decade this list of ‘accomplishments’ would seem shameful. The reality is, ‘her we are…’ and what other choice does our community have, other than to support this list?..Over that same decade, we have lost the majority of our industry; 8 of our top 10 employers are government; we lead the province in social security claims; our labor participation rate is in free-fall; we gave up our College; 1/3rd of our high school students don’t graduate; our rookie MPP took away Brookside; our mall was in receivership; we have more fatalities from opiods than from a global pandemic…the list goes on….
While it’s not real economic growth, this list does suggest some private investment and some positive activity.
As a nation real estate now makes up $1.7 trillion of our $1.8 trillion economy. Trading properties & developments amongst ourselves seems to be taking the place of actually producing something and actually exporting something.
(If the next next elected provincial government hires 1,000 new teachers & PSW’s for Northumberland and all of the unemployed get their real estate licenses, we’ll be fine!!)
Support needs to come from the Top in Planning
Jobs would be created if there was a fast track sys . in place
But Red Tape and Policy prevail in NO burg . Just look at the new Hotel in Port hope they started just 2 yrs ago with their proposal and Construction is nearly complete .
I also understand that Omni Care is under Contract to build next to the New Hotel
Is this Town possibly holding up this site to Justify the the Golden Plough Expansion verses the Public sector providing the same facilities out of Non Tax Payer Pockets
Support Yes But this is not some thing our Council or Ms. Beatty should Blow Her Horn about This report merely confirms the fact that if you come to Cobourg your stuck here for the Long Haul
I hate to jump in on discussions but in this case it’s clear that the Hotel site is currently not serviced by Town sewer or Stormwater management and the applicant should have been able to see this before applying. It seems to me that the Planning department is not to blame for this.
Sorry to say that was never the Case. the same goes for the large Loblaws store that was to go in on Strathy road , these people have been trying for 15 yrs to get some kind of development going here and they were the Original proposers of a Provincial sports facility for that site Now the CCC again public enterprise could have met the needs .
I can show you 5 other cases right now that are in the same position where out of town Developers are pushed to the rear .
Wrong again, there was never any hope of the Loblaws going up there when Loblaws Corporate wanted to expand where they were.
I have to tell you that new Legion condo is one of the ugliest building I have ever seen. Looks like a prison. That kind of architecture isn’t going to bring Cobourg any awards.
I agree. My thoughts exactly. If they try covering it with ivy, it will just end up looking like an old prison.
I would say again Sandpiper that you are off track on this and support badly financed and badly prepared developers who expect the red carpet.
Strathy Road has been a disaster from day one. Rushed into development by Smart Centres to the exclusion of others. LinMac got there first, SmartCentres next and the rest of the world can scramble for the remaining servicing capacity. I would suggest that the problem was that the servicing capacity did not take into account the total needs for full commercial development.
If the original plan for a Business Park had been kept in place instead of being pushed aside by Politicians who took election donations from SmartCentres at the same time as they voted on their development the planned available servicing capacity would have been adequate for the planned use – Business Park.
“In fact several projects have not been announced as they are now in the hands of 2nd or even 3 rd owners as the original proposers got fed up ran out of $$$ or could no longer see a profit at the end of the tunnel . IE. Tim Hortons , Gas center east King 4.5 yrs
on a property that already had the services and zoning Joshani Homes at William 2 owners latter and 10 yrs then George st 3 Owners latter , Cobourg East Rondeau 7 yrs or more
Cobourg Creek Lofts 10 yrs and 3 owners latter – 1 Bankruptcy still 2 yrs away
Holiday Inn 4 yrs and never ending red tape .”
These statement demonstrate to me underfinancing and the lack of adherence to well established planning guidelines. Just prove to me where a well financed plan has not come to fruition.
If Mr Rondeau has trouble coming up with the financial requirements needed to get servicing (10million bond) to push his sewage over the hill into the King St. Plant don’t blame the Town. Developers pay for development!!
Not sure where you’re getting your data from, but one report I found says that “…2018 was the most active year ever in the global real estate market with US$1.8 trillion invested across the globe...”.
Jim T: Source: The April 25th entry on former, MP and Tax Accountant/Wealth Mgr Garth Turner’s Blog, provides a good overview of our current real estate bubble and our private debt vs GDP.
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https://www.greaterfool.ca/?s=the+retreat
I suspect new residential construction will either slow of come to a halt as prices for lumber and plywood have tripled in the last year.
Yes But will the prices roll back and come down when the material prices come back to normal
or will builders keep them high as acceptable I have been advised that the average home price has had an increase of $30 to $50 thousand dollars due to a supply and demand issue
We should be excited by this list of developments. Positive Development is really the only option to where we now find ourselves; with more methadone clinics than Tim Horton’s locations and more cannabis stores than walk-in clinics….(ah, but we have a beach….)
These projects –when successfully, completed–have the ability to transform the Town we live in and so, their success is our success and should continue to be regularly tracked. Make no mistake–our elected representatives at all levels of gov’t always mistake this kind of development activity for ‘real’ economic growth. Is it?…. The homes/condos being built will be sold at ‘market’ rates because they have to be;($700k++?) the rental properties the same ($1700/mth++??)……at some point, some living wage employment has to reverse it’s disappearing trend to make it all work and not everyone can work for the Police force, Board of Education or the County(even though most people do….)… Part of the plan should be an explanation of how the new Staff at Giant Tiger, Holiday Inn Express the PSW’s at GPL and Tim Horton’s will be able to afford to live here. Am I wrong?