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| Plans are moving ahead to convert Barrie's downtown bus station into a market building. MARK WANZEL/BARRIE EXAMINER/QMI AGENCY |
Gears are turning to convert Barrie's downtown bus station into a market building.
City councillors will discuss asking staff to look into a feasibility study for the conversion, including possible funding sources for the report.
It's an item for discussion at Monday's meeting, coming from Couns. Barry Ward and Lynne Strachan.
Ward says there hasn't been much movement on the issue lately.
“So Coun. Strachan and I thought we should get the ball rolling, at least in terms of seeing if a market building is an idea we want to pursue,” he said.
Ward noted the city's new transit plan comes into effect Aug. 17, which means there will be fewer city buses using the Maple Avenue bus terminal.
“I'm not sure where plans are for intercity buses, but GO is already using platforms at the Allandale Waterfront Station,” he said.
Ward said a feasibility study would determine if a market building would work and look into possible operating models and funding.
“It could be operated privately, through a non-profit agency or by the city,” he said. “It may not cost taxpayers much or at all.”
Ward says he recently toured a waterfront development in north Vancouver, which is converting a former shipyard into a market and community activity centre.
“(This) is costing taxpayers nothing, apart from some government funding for site cleanup,” he said. “It is being paid for entirely by developers around the site. I'm not saying that is the model we need to follow but it does show the possibilities.”
Ward says he sees a downtown Barrie market building similar to the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, where there are food and craft vendors, perhaps some local restaurants and cafes.
“There would be regular community activities, musicians and more, in general a community gathering spot,” he said.
It would be open several days a week, at the least, perhaps expanding to full-time, Ward said.
“It was be nice if the Barrie Farmers' Market decided to take part, but that will be their decision to make,” Ward said.
The Barrie Farmers' Market currently operates at Barrie City Hall, in the Circle At The Centre courtyard in warm weather, in the Rotunda during cold or inclement weather.
The idea for a market building comes from Mayor Jeff Lehman, who was a city councillor running for mayor in October of 2010 when he introduced it.
Lehman has said a food market there would be a better economic driver for the downtown than a bus station, it would encourage tourism and reinvestment in the core. He noted the potential exists for a residential area, probably not more than 60 units, north of a market building.
It wouldn't take much to convert the bus station into a market; the platforms could be used for the market in summer, and moved inside at other times.
Lehman has said he would like to relocate the bus station to the Highway 400, Essa Road area, although Barrie Transit could continue to have bus platforms near the new market building to bring people there and downtown.
A new bus terminal wouldn't have to be much more than platforms, shelter and a place to buy tickets.
The downtown bus station currently acts as a hub for Barrie Transit, with many routes going, and stopping, there before travelling elsewhere.
But all of that changes in August.
Barrie's new bus system will serve multiple transit hubs, at major destinations, in different parts of the city. Routes will double up on major roads, so there will be 15-minute service on many of Barrie's busiest streets, instead of the 30-minute service today.
The hubs will be at Georgian Mall, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Georgian College, the downtown Barrie Transit Terminal, Allandale Waterfront GO Station, Holly Community Centre, Park Place and South Barrie GO Station.
Barrie Transit's existing 21 routes will be replaced with 10 more efficient ones.
Getting to GO trains will also be easier, with eight of the 10 new routes directly serving Barrie's two GO Transit rail stations. And from June 29 until Sept. 2, Barrie will have weekend GO train service - with four trains running to Toronto and four coming back to Barrie, each Saturday and Sunday.
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