London Development Rumour Thread - Page 10

jammer139 · #**181** Posted **Jun 12, 2022, 2:57 PM**

The east side of the block where the convention centre is located is now up for sale. Surprisingly low asking price when compared to the land south of it. Would the city look to purchase the remainder of the block for future convention centre expansion? Would the performing arts centre fans push to buy this property or future city hall crowd?

Lots of possibilities and the question is who wants it the most and willing to pay to secure the properties.

LFP article - https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...ce-for-rebirth

ssiguy · #**182** Posted **Jun 12, 2022, 5:59 PM**

Let's pray to God Farhi doesn't buy it or it will stay a parking lot forever.

ericmacm · #**183** Posted **Jun 12, 2022, 8:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

St Thomas has assembled a massive 800 acres development site SE of Ron McNeil and Highbury Ave in the NE corner. The goal is to land a major EV plant.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...le-parts-plant

Hopefully this will kick-off planning by Elgin and Middlesex counties and London and St. Thomas and the province in the rebuilding of Highbury Ave into a 4 lane highway to deal with the safety issues. Would love to see it divided and straighten out.

That parcel of land alone is almost the same size as the entire stock of currently existing industrial area in St. Thomas proper. If they manage to land a major tenant or set of tenants, that has huge implications for the city and the region as a whole. Regarding competitiveness within Ontario, assembling a serviced parcel of this size has apparently put them at the front of the pack to land the next major potential EV investment.

Apparently there are a number of interested parties, but nothing is firm yet. Rumour is that Ford and a Chinese battery manufacturer are looking to partner and build an Ontario-based EV battery plant (similar to the Stellantis and LG partnership in Windsor), and that this could be a potential spot for it.

Djeffery · #**184** Posted **Jun 12, 2022, 9:22 PM**

I could see St Thomas having some competition from their township neighbour, Southwold. A battery plant isn't going to need 800 acres. How big was the Ford property? 260 acres or so? Amazon is on what, less than 10% of the property? The warehouse doesn't even reach north enough to the former plant footprint, so there is tons of space still available for use there. That property would almost surely be a more attractive location, given it's about 2 miles off the 401 on a 4 lane highway and lot more shovel-ready than the St Thomas site.

jammer139 · #**185** Posted **Jun 15, 2022, 6:20 PM**

Contractor has completed installing the sewer drain and is grading the unpaved area now in preparation for asphalt to open up the corner of 120 York St as a surface parking lot. The Landlords development plans are complete with the addition of new surfacing parking spaces.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

Looks like the Landlord may finally be getting a contractor to install sewer and drainage for 120 York St corner. Prefab sewer drains and piping have been delivered to the site. This is likely in advance of installing drainage so it can be graded and paved over for another parking lot. So much for his development plans statement when he demolished the building there a couple of years ago.

jammer139 · #**186** Posted **Jun 17, 2022, 10:54 PM**

Poured concrete curbs around the new area of the surface parking lot today at 120 York St.

jammer139 · #**187** Posted **Jun 22, 2022, 2:33 PM**

Ironstone has purchased a block of land on Superior Drive north of Sunningdale.

613 Superior Drive
type Vacant residential land
price $15,100,000
seller 2047790 Ontario Inc.
buyer The Ironstone Building Company Inc.

jammer139 · #**188** Posted **Jun 28, 2022, 4:45 PM**

Just waiting now for asphalt contractor to install pavement as the section within the concrete curbing is graded and ready.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

Poured concrete curbs around the new area of the surface parking lot today at 120 York St.

CanadianTalk · #**189** Posted **Jul 3, 2022, 3:05 AM**

Looks like we could see a planning application sometime soon for a couple of apartment buildings in the relatively new subdivision near Hamilton and Commissioners.

https://www.zeddarchitecture.com/21-014

Spoofy · #**190** Posted **Jul 5, 2022, 2:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

Just waiting now for asphalt contractor to install pavement as the section within the concrete curbing is graded and ready.

Based on my experience I would personally be very surprised if this property remains a parking lot for more than 3-5 years. Too much development pressure & potential given the characteristics of the lot, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the property owner proposing a multi-tower 30+ storey development here within the next couple of years.

My opinion may be blinded by my pure frustration at this property becoming a parking lot at all though.. almost makes you wish that City Hall had a method for smacking the hand of these property owners and not allowing them to make these wildly backwards decisions.

inimrepus · #**191** Posted **Jul 5, 2022, 12:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoofy

Based on my experience I would personally be very surprised if this property remains a parking lot for more than 3-5 years.

Farhi owns the property, it doesn't matter how much pressure there is for development he isn't going to do anything with it

jammer139 · #**192** Posted **Jul 5, 2022, 12:27 PM**

There is no evidence that the "Landlord" will build anything anywhere. It is extremely likely that this parking lot will stay a parking lot for as long as he owns it. It is also too small for multiple towers. A single tower would fit nicely sometime in the future.

Any evidence that the "Landlord" will build something should show up soon given the appeal to the OLT for the 40s Ridout tower was recently dropped. There is now ZERO excuse for not getting a demolition permit to remove the classroom building facing the river parking lot in preparation for excavation of the foundation for his 40s tower. That is assuming of course that it will ever be built.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoofy

Based on my experience I would personally be very surprised if this property remains a parking lot for more than 3-5 years. Too much development pressure & potential given the characteristics of the lot, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the property owner proposing a multi-tower 30+ storey development here within the next couple of years.

My opinion may be blinded by my pure frustration at this property becoming a parking lot at all though.. almost makes you wish that City Hall had a method for smacking the hand of these property owners and not allowing them to make these wildly backwards decisions.

jammer139 · #**193** Posted **Jul 6, 2022, 6:05 PM**

The NW corner of Quebec and Dundas is for sale. Now the house immediately to the north is for sale as well. Together these properties would be ideal for another low rise affordable housing project if the players like Indwell and London Housing could purchase them. A nice 6 story building with one level of underground parking and some ground floor retail commercial would fit in really well on this corner.

jammer139 · #**194** Posted **Jul 6, 2022, 7:53 PM**

Interesting property deal. Could the Family Circle Restaurant be back in play after the previous proposal fell thru? The proposed high rise would have been a terrific addition to the Wellington St corridor. Who is this Space Rider Corp?

147-149 Wellington Street, 253-257 Grey Street
type Mixed commercial / residential property (future development)
price $9,015,554
seller Named individuals
buyer Space Rider Corp.

ericmacm · #**195** Posted **Jul 6, 2022, 10:26 PM**

Space Rider Corp. appears to be headquartered in a mansion in North York. The owner appears to own another company called Canada Grace Park Ltd., which is a shareholder in Atlas Springbank Developments Ltd., the developer who proposed the condos at 462-472 Springbank Drive.

Looks like we will probably see that proposal resurface.

jammer139 · #**196** Posted **Jul 7, 2022, 7:06 PM**

Excavator and dump trucks are busy digging out the NW corner of Westdel's plaza at Wellington and Baseline. This is not the space where they have proposed a 16s tower which will front Baseline.

CanadianTalk · #**197** Posted **Jul 7, 2022, 8:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

Excavator and dump trucks are busy digging out the NW corner of Westdel's plaza at Wellington and Baseline. This is not the space where they have proposed a 16s tower which will front Baseline.

Site plan for Wellington/Baseline development, taken from Westdell's website:

Djeffery · #**198** Posted **Jul 7, 2022, 10:33 PM**

That's a change from their original plans for the plaza when they planned to move Staples over to that corner where the work is going on right now. That former A&P building that houses Staples really needs to go. Curious what they might find for the former National Sports space next door.

jammer139 · #**199** Posted **Jul 9, 2022, 4:55 PM**

Base coat of asphalt now laid in the section of 120 York St within the concrete curbing. The perimeter outside is still dirt and no indication when it will be regraded and repaired with new asphalt. They will have to close the parking lot to fix the perimeter.

tyeman200 · #**200** Posted **Jul 13, 2022, 3:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

That's a change from their original plans for the plaza when they planned to move Staples over to that corner where the work is going on right now. That former A&P building that houses Staples really needs to go. Curious what they might find for the former National Sports space next door.

I'd assume Staples was contempt in staying where they are. They actually would have lost space moving over that corner. I never knew that was originally an A&P. I thought the A&P was where the Metro is now beside the Mandarin.