Georgina jobs could bring commuters closer to home

Georgina Advocate
February 18, 2014
By Heidi Riedner

Thousands of high-quality jobs could be coming to Georgina after development plans for the long-awaited Keswick Business Park were tabled for draft approval at council Wednesday.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Matthew Cory on behalf of Glenwoods Developments, adding the application for the industrial subdivision represented a decade of planning coming to fruition.

Part of the delay involved being “overtaken” by various legislation, including the Greenbelt, Growth and Lake Simcoe Protection plans, during the proposal preparation.

The Glenwoods Business Park project proposal — a 109.2-hectare section of land at the northeast corner of Glenwoods and Woodbine avenues — is the first phase of development within the Keswick Business Park.

It is intended to function as a key regional employment centre that will accommodate between 7,500 and 9,000 jobs, according to the town’s planning department.

It is a key town strategy to provide more local employment while diversifying the tax base.

With more than 70 per cent of Georgina’s workforce commuting to employment opportunities farther south, the business park will provide for local employment and an increased non-residential tax assessment to help support the growing demands on the town’s programs and services, the report states.

A traffic impact study, commissioned by the developers, indicates development on the subject land is expected to have 4,000 employees.

Additional development within the Keswick Business Park is expected to provide employment for an additional 4,500 employees.

The proposed subdivision consists of 10 industrial blocks, two storm water management ponds and a pumping station, as well as a green lands block and associated buffers along the Maskinonge River to protect natural heritage and hydrological features.

The lands are separated into three “park” components, including an area for hotels, convention centres, business and professional offices.

Other areas will be home to private sector commercial or trade schools, as well as the more traditional industrial development such as manufacturing, fabrication, assembly and processing, warehousing and related distribution.

Development of the individual industrial blocks would proceed through subsequent applications for site plan approval.

But with various ducks already in a row regarding the project in terms of servicing and various regulatory approvals, Georgina is “ahead of the game” compared to other business parks and employment lands in other municipalities about to come online, said Mr. Cory.

“We are looking at marketing the business park as much as we can,” he said, adding land that is “development ready” is the real attractor when it it comes to investors looking to locate their businesses.

A potential Hwy. 404 interchange at Glenwoods Avenue is still on the table at this point, he added.

While the interchange was tossed around at council as being an integral part of the future success of the business park, the Transportation Ministry has said in the past  those costs would have to be borne by the town and/or the Region of York.

Despite the potential roadblock in terms of transportation, Deputy Mayor Danny Wheeler said he was thrilled the plans were finally at this stage.

“We are open for business, as we speak,” said Mayor Rob Grossi, adding the town would welcome any provincial ministry, company or manufacturer looking to relocate operations “on a sizeable piece of property at  a fraction of the cost you’ll pay in Newmarket, Aurora or Markham”.

A future report will come back to council addressing a few remaining revisions with the proposal.