A proposal to construct a new commercial building which would bring another grocery store to Owen Sound’s east end is progressing.
City council received a technical report at its meeting Monday night concerning a zoning by-law amendment application for a new 49,000 square-foot commercial space at 2125 16th Street East, the Heritage Grove Plaza that already houses several restaurants and retailers like Burger King, Winners, PetSmart and others.
The new building would include two units; one of them would be for a FreshCo grocery store. More than 200 parking spaces, an internal road system, landscaping and stormwater management are also included in the proposal.
Council approved a recommendation to direct staff to continue processing the application.
“It’s nice to see that development is continuing in this particular area as plans have been made for many years,” says Coun. Marion Koepke, who moved the recommendation.
KLM Planning Partners Senior Planner Aidan Pereira, who is representing the developer Heritage Grove for the project, says the grocery store and commercial space building would be located in the northeast corner of the 16th Street East plaza.
He says there was a plan approved previously for a hotel in the area of the plaza, but the pandemic derailed that venture by the prospective tenant.
A recommendation report is expected to come before council at its next meeting on June 26.
Mayor Ian Boddy declared a disqualifying interest and recused himself from the zoning by-law amendment discussion and a public meeting concerning the proposed new building at Heritage Grove.
Owen Sound’s Director of Community Services Pam Coulter says an updated traffic opinion letter and retail market demand/impact analysis were completed as part of the development application.
