SmartCentres puts its remaining vacant Alliston land on the
market
Posted January
23, 2013
SmartCentres, whose Walmart anchored plaza altered the retail
landscape in the greater New Tecumseth area when it opened for business
three years ago this month, has put its undeveloped parcel, up for sale.
Sandra Kaiser, SmartCentres Vice President of Corporate Affairs, told
Free Press Online this afternoon, that their vacant land on the east
side of Dunham Drive, and a small parcel beside the OPP headquarters,
is listed for sale. It does not include the new Tim Hortons, which will
remain under SmartCentres banner, as will the west-side built-up plaza.
"We're just selling off excess land that we were not going to develop
anyway," said Ms. Kaiser. "We're pretty much done building."
The Vaughan based commercial developer remains obligated to the Town to
build Mackenzie Pioneer Road from County Road 10 to Dunham Drive.
SmartCentres was birthed in New Tecumseth by the Ontario Municipal
Board (OMB) back in 2007, fending off appeals, including those by
Zellers and Zehrs in Alliston. Below is the OMB ordered restrictions
that was to guide its build-out.
SmartCentres
The maximum gross floor area for all uses combined is 37,160 square
meters
(sq m) (about 400,000 sq. ft).
The maximum gross floor area for Wal-Mart is to 16,722 sq m (178,000
sq.
ft). Within that area will be a cap of 3,485 sq m (37,289 sq. ft) for
the
display and preparation of food.
The maximum gross floor area for all retail establishments other than
Wal-Mart,
shall be 7,900 sq. m (84,530 sq. ft).
The maximum total gross floor area devoted to a convenience store shall
be 750 sq. m (2,942 sq. ft).
Of the uses permitted, a maximum of 1,580 sq. m (16,906 sq ft) may be
comprised
of retail establishments smaller than 460 sq. m (4,922 sq. ft) each, of
which a maximum of 790 sq m (8,453 sq. ft) may be comprised of retail
establishments
smaller than 280 sq. m (2,996 sq. ft). This provision is to discourage
SmartCentres from opening smaller sized retail outlets that might
otherwise
have located in one of the downtown cores, or that might compete
directly
with downtown business.
The maximum gross floor area of all personal service establishments,
professional,
financial and office support services and health care establishments,
other
than in a department store, shall be a combined total of 790 sq. m
(8,453
sq. ft). This measure is also to protect the downtown cores.
The maximum number of financial institutions shall be two.
SmartCentres arrival also changed the BIA situation, extending its
boundary to include the east end commercial development, and whose
annual contributions are split between the Alliston BIA, and the Beeton
and Tottenham BIA.
