Hamilton blames city for loss of Y project

Hamilton blames city for loss of Y project
Barrie Advance, February 18th

BARRIE -Barrie just did not have the political
will to make a deal with the Y, says a YMCA of
Simcoe Muskoka board member.

Rob Hamilton, a former mayor who’s seeking the
city’s top political job again, says the city
let the Allandale project go.

“It was a knee-jerk reaction because people
thought the Y got preferential treatment,”
he said, adding making any number of strategic
city-core projects work required little from
the city but commitment and a willingness to
work with business in tough economic times.

Officially, the Y said the deal was unaffordable
– a sudden change of tracks after almost two years
of financial research, visioning and design work on
the project. But Hamilton said a little more
political will and vision would have ensured the
project could have succeeded.

“The Y didn’t walk away and pull the plug. They
just did not get a deal they could live with,”
he said of the Jan. 27 decision to pull out of
what was to be a $50-million live-work-learn-play
project.

“The Y could be a real focal point for community
living. I firmly believe the deal could have been
done if the city had said we really want the Y
there for reasons that benefit the city. I don’t
think there was the follow-through to make it happen.”

While city council endorsed the idea of a
partnership with the Y, council was not unanimous.
A vocal opponent was Mayor Dave Aspden.

According to Hamilton, three key issues quashed
the project: the cost of the land, development
charges and parking. Although the Y initially
agreed to $2 million for the entire nine-acre
site, the city subsequently decided to retain
ownership of the 1905 station and the area in
front of it, the prime two acres.

For the remainder of the site located primarily
beside the rail yard, Hamilton said the city
wanted $700,000. The city also demanded the Y
provide at least 200 parking spots and, due to
the configuration of the development, those spots
would have had to be either above or below ground.

The city also refused to offer any development
charge discounts or deferrals, the former mayor said.