Strengthening Oshawa’s position in the GTA
This morning I attended the 13th annual realtors and developers breakfast hosted by the City of Oshawa and presented by Kyle Benham, Director, Economic Development Services.
The discussion focused on Oshawa’s economic condition - diving deep into job growth, development activity and revitalization, as well as future planning.
Highlights included:
Oshawa’s projecting $400M in building permits in the coming year.
90% of companies currently in our community have under 10 employees, meaning there are a lot of opportunities for large companies to setup in Oshawa and a recognition of a market gap for this potential.
Looking to tell a new Oshawa story as we move forward and create a new urban experience east of Yonge street.
Downtown will have a focus on carving out an employment district and cultural hub, not staking a future on retail.
The downtown revitalization will start with changing the physical environment in the core, making it much more friendly to pedestrians and include additional public art installations.
Future growth in Oshawa will build upon talent and innovation.
Some exciting projects underway include:
Genosha Hotel
Revitalization of this iconic building is already underway and expected to be completed in 2019. The renovation will include 86 apartments and ground floor commercial.
157-163 Athol Street East
Currently under construction, this 9-storey apartment building will include 185 units and is intended to be marketed to students.
80 Bond Street East
Construction anticipated in 2019 for 375 apartment units with 21 stories and 622 sq. m. of ground floor retail.
135 Bruce Street
This project will include 2,145 apartment units and 96 townhouse units with office and retail ground floor space.
Northwood Business Park
262 Hectares of developable land for employment purposes.
RIOCAN Windfields Retail Hub
Site preparation is underway for 160 acres at Simcoe Street North and Highway 407 with 77,926 sq. m. of commercial space, and 343 townhouse units and 352 apartment units.
In closing, the City of Oshawa’s Economic Development Services are monitoring 68 projects representing:
Over $5.1 billion dollars of investment
43,409 associated jobs
42,064 potential new residents
16,025 residential units
For more information on additional projects happening in Oshawa, contact Alex Down at 905-410-4043 or info@alexdown.ca