Development proposed for Main Street
Chris MacGillivray provided the planning advisory committee (PAC) for the Town of Antigonish with a possible glimpse into the future for Main Street.
MacGillivray Development gave their presentation on March 24 at town council chambers and is proposing a seven storey building at the corner of Main and Court streets that would have both residential and commercial usage.
The bottom two floors would be commercial, the next four would be residential with four units per-floor and the top floor residential as well as it would be a penthouse flat type of layout.
The development’s location, as MacGillivray pointed out in his presentation to PAC, would require a decision on two houses, which currently sit on the property.
A parking facility is also part of the design and is created as a two-storey parking garage ,which would be partially underground.
Landscaping is also part of the design and its inclusion was a welcome sight for PAC members concerned with the sight of a large parking facility on Main Street.
MacGillivray talked about the proposal as being a combination of an opportunity and need.
“We’ve had the land for a little while and just thought, ‘what’s missing from the town,’ MacGillivray said. “It’s a different style of condos that don’t really exist (in Antigonish). And yes, we thought there is a need for it.”
During the presentation, town councillor and PAC chair Willie Cormier noted that section of Main Street could use a shot in the arm. MacGillivray talked about that comment following the meeting.
“When you have vacant spaces, not too much happens, so it’s definitely an opportunity for new development,” he said.
It was also noted by PAC members that the location would put the building almost smack-dab in the middle of important Antigonish locations such as St. F.X. and St. Martha’s Regional Hospital.
“Basically almost every amenity you want or need is there… even to walk to,” MacGillivray said. “There are drug stores, theatres, good restaurants, the hospital, the university, tennis courts, Columbus track… all those things people can make use of right in their backyard.”
As for the break-down between commercial and residential, he said that comes back to the need part of the equation.
“That was an estimate of what we thought we could come up with and at the same time we thought there was a bigger demand for residential over commercial,” he said.
“So two-thirds of the building is dedicated for residential, one-third to commercial and I might add, the second level of commercial is designated at this point for a commercial condo. So it’s directed at professional people who want to purchase in the place they work in.”
While the proposal is still in its early stages, it received strong support from PAC members who also noted an appreciation for MacGillivray’s efforts to accommodate their suggestions from an earlier presentation.
“It’s a 21st century space,” MacGillivray said. “Somewhere you would like to be in, work in and live in.”
http://www.thecasket.ca/top-news/dev...r-main-street/
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