Developer wants in on brownfield renewal

02/18/2004

King and Benton show interest in Greenwich-Mohawk

BY MICHAEL-ALLLAN MARION
EXPOSITOR STAFF / BRANTFORD

A Brownfield redeveloper wants to join the city in an effort to redevelop the derelict Greenwich-Mohawk industrial area.

In interviews Tuesday with The Expositor and Ward 5 councillors Marguerite Ceschi-Smith and John Starkey, Steve Charest of King and Benton Development Corp. detailed his company's plan to redevelop the 52-acre area that contains three sprawling Brownfield properties in Eagle Place.

"You don't have to look very far to see that Brownfield redevelopment isn't done by municipalities alone," Charest told The Expositor.

"You need a partnership and the sup-port of the community," he said, adding that he wanted to reassure the community that King and Benton will take steps to involve Eagle Place residents in its plans.

"We need to have open dialogue. We need to have an open process."

City staff is on the verge of completing an implementation plan for the area, based on a $125,000 study done by a team of consultants.

It included a full environmental, heritage, economic and structural assessment of the area and its buildings, along with four community meetings, each attended by more than 100 people, and two focus group sessions.

The consultation resulted in a broad concept plan calling for a large-scale housing development, a commercial Plaza, conversion of the Cockshutt office and timekeeper's buildings into a museum, some park space and trails.

The implementation would begin with-a takeover in tax sales of the Cockshutt-Go Vacations site at 66 Mohawk St., which owes more than $1 million in unpaid property taxes, and the former Massey-Hams property at 347 Greenwich St., which owes about $3 million in taxes.

The plan also calls for the demolition of all buildings on the problem-plagued properties and for the city to work with the owners of the Sternson property at 22 Mohawk for a complete environmental remediation of all three contaminated properties.

Either before or after demolition, the site could be open for proposals from companies to undertake development.

The city is also working on a plan, inspired by Mayor Mike Hancock, to rapidly dean up the site in a pilot project using a provincial loan fund to get capital upfront. Hancock and a city team have been lobbying provincial cabinet ministers about the idea.

But King and Benton is the first company to come forward with an interest in the massive project. Charest told The Expositor that once the tax sales are complete, the company wants to join the redevelopment effort in concert with the community.

Charest said he realizes the work the consulting team and Ceschi-Smith have done in involving the community and the company intends to incorporate the work in its plans.

"I want to build on what she (Ceschi-Smith) has done," he said. "I want to use the four community meetings."

The company is sending out questionnaires today to 6,000 households to find out what people want in addition to the implementation plan, and to form a Greenwich-Mohawk Eagle Place redevelopment community advisory committee.

The questionnaire asks respondents to rate the importance of a number of potential amenities, including seniors facilities, recreational facilities, playing fields, medical services, the museum, a farmers market, community centre, commercial plaza and fast food outlets.

It also asks respondents to rate the importance of such infrastructure matters as road improvements, intersection upgrades, removal of a rail line through the Greenwich-Mohawk site, cleanup of the canal and Mohawk Lake, and completion of the Brantford Southern Access Road.

The questionnaire also seeks people willing to sit on the community advisory committee.

That idea is taken from a similar move he made after city council was chastised by the voters last year for selling the former Harding Carpets site to King and Benton without consulting the community.

Charest is happy its Homedale advisory committee has gained community acceptance for the $3.25-million Harding redevelopment, which is moving speedily toward a conclusion.

"We want to ride on the success we've had with Harding Carpets," he said adding the company and the city have learned a lot from the experience surrounding that redevelopment.

He said he realized residents would assess King and Benton on how it handled the contentious project.

Ceschi-Smith said she was happy the company talked over its plans with her and Starkey.

"It's good to see there's a private sector developer who wants to redevelop that area," she said.

"The city can't afford to do it by itself. I would be interested to see what kind of proposal comes forward."

She said King and Benton's sensitivity to community involvement is encouraging.

"The public must be involved throughout the process," she said. "That is an important feature in the re-development of our Brownfield’s."

Starkey said he got the firm impression Charest was looking for "an indication of municipal political will" in the discussions.

"I have felt for some time it would be nice to have private sector interest rather that the city picking up all the costs and making parks," he said.

"I think everyone has heard enough talk and wants to see something done."