A massive worldwide corporation is putting its stamp of approval on land near Park Place in Barrie's south end.
FedEx has plans to build a new facility at the north end of the site near Big Bay Point Road, near where the old Molson brewery was located.
“The FedEx ground distribution centre at 1 Big Bay Point Rd., in Barrie, is scheduled to open in summer of 2022 and will be approximately 181,000 square feet,” the company said in a statement to MidlandToday. “The site was chosen because of its ease of access to major highways, proximity to customers' distribution centres and a strong local community workforce for recruiting employees.
"The new facility is part of a network expansion to boost daily package volume capacity and further enhance the speed and service capabilities of the FedEx ground network," the company added.
Terry Coughlin, managing partner with North American Development Group, which owns and operates the nearby Park Place grounds at Bayview and Mapleview drives, called it "major" news and hopefully something that will bring a lot of jobs to the city.
Park Place has seen many ups and downs since it broke ground more than 10 years ago, but the south-end Barrie shopping and dining area is turning a corner and it's full steam ahead, Coughlin said.
When Park Place was just a design on paper back in 2002, North American Development Group described it as a car-free, pedestrian-focused outdoor commercial centre. Hotels, a cinema and outdoor park areas for families were also on the plans, but things changed slightly as the years went on.
While many stores now line the roads inside Park Place, Coughlin said it was a dip in the economy that changed the plans from unique shops to what you see today.
“In 2008, we hit a bad spot in the economy and the need for certain shops changed,” Coughlin told MidlandToday. “But what we have is still pretty neat with the centre of Park Place, having the fireplace and seating area. And there is still more to come.”
At Park Place, other businesses are starting to fill up the empty spaces, such as Ashley’s Furniture at the former Target location as well as a Winners store, which just opened just last week.
The Rec Room is also expected to open sometime this year, Coughlin said, though it has been hindered by the pandemic.
“This one will be a 34,000-sq.ft. games centre, kind of like the one down by the CN Tower,” said Coughlin, who didn't have an exact opening date.
Because only a limited number of people can be in the building, construction has been slowed due to the pandemic, he said.
The Rec Room will sit at the corner of Concert Way and Bayview Drive; it is the dining, gaming, technology and live entertainment arm of the Cineplex family.
