Stouffville Junction project aims to revive historic Main Street

In the late 1800s, the Mansion House was regarded as one of the best hotels north of Toronto

Yorkregion.com
September 2, 2020
Simon Martin

The northeast corner of Main Street and Edward Street in Stouffville is undergoing a major facelift. Gone is the orange stucco from the old Pizza Pizza and Mr. Sub and original brick is being revealed in the mixed-use Stouffville Junction project.

The development is the brainchild of Stouffville natives Kelly Carrick and Chris Flanagan.

“This place came up for sale and we walked through it and thought it was perfect,” Carrick said.

Carrick and Flanagan, along with the Harrington and Associates team responsible for overseeing the project and development, want to restore the building to its past historic grandeur.

In the late 1800s, the corner of Main and Edward was one of the busiest in Stouffville, attracting businesses, trains, town activity and individuals whose business called them away for shorter or longer periods of time. Built in the 1860s, the Toronto and Nipissing rail line brought a flurry of activity to Stouffville. At its peak, the Stouffville junction serviced up to 30 trains a day.

The Mansion House was regarded as one of the best hotels north of Toronto with beautiful finishes and state-of-the-art amenities that brought every convenience for the comfort of its guests. The owner’s policy was to make their accommodations as much a home as possible.

Flanagan said a local visionary built the original development in 1879 to attract people and business to the town and that’s exactly what the local team behind the Stouffville Junction wants to do.

“We want it to be a meeting place,” Carrick said.

Growing up in Stouffville, Carrick remembers Main Street being busy every Saturday as people came to the IGA and the sales barn, and he wants to help contribute to bringing the vibrancy back. "People used to come to the Main Street," he said.

The team has a goal to reactivate the corner of Main Street and Edward Street -- rejuvenate the area for the community, local businesses and add employment, hospitality and housing to the area.

The vision for the project is for a mixed-use development with the main floor being designed for hospitality and retail use, with hopes of a restaurant or a place where people could gather, while the upstairs will have 10 purpose-built rental units.

When workers stripped the exterior of the building, Flanagan said it revealed a very well-made structure. They are restoring the brick exterior matching it to the time period. The group has spared no expense adding a slate roof with three different kinds of slate and copper windows.

Carrick said throughout the whole process they have been in touch with the town’s heritage advisory committee about certain design elements that fit the neighbourhood.

Flanagan said the rental units will have a wonderful view of the historic neighbourhood in the heart of Stouffville. They also aim to improve the accessibility of the building to further modernize the structure.

Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt recently toured the site and was impressed with what he saw. He even got to learn how to lay 100-year-old brick. “This is an incredible project and a major investment into our Main Street revival,” he said.

The group hopes to have the project ready to go by the middle of the next year as they feverishly work away at a variety of elements. If all goes well, Carrick isn’t ruling out taking on another project. “It could be the first of many,” he said.