By David Judd
NORFOLK County is setting the table to redevelop a historic section of downtown Simcoe along the Lynn River.
The county owns underused properties on both sides of the river on the eastern edge of downtown.
Norfolk is in the process of allowing new uses for an old factory, parking areas and open space on Pond Street on the west side of the river.
And it’s clearing the way to build apartments on what is now a parking lot on Argyle Street on the east side of the river.
Councillors got their first look at proposals last Tuesday.
They will vote to change Norfolk’s Official Plan and zoning at a future meeting.
The idea is to kickstart redevelopment of Simcoe’s downtown by approving new uses for properties that have been dormant for years.
If all goes well, Norfolk County will look to sell 3.4 acres for development.
Or the county might consider partnering with a developer.
Ideally, one developer would take on the entire project.
But council might consider splitting work among more than one developer, CAO Al Meneses said in an interview.
On the west side of the river, the main focus would be on the Victorian brick factory building at 87 to 97 Pond St.
The building most recently was home to the Simcoe Seniors Centre.
Historically, it was the Simcoe Mitt and Glove Co. factory.
The old factory cannot be used for housing because it sits on a flood plain and it might be contaminated after decades of factory use.
Council is considering approving a wide range of retail, service and commercial uses for the old factory, including antique shop, art gallery, auction centre, bar or nightclub, boutique, clinic, convenience store, deli, financial institution, florist, office, pharmacy, restaurant, retail store and supermarket.
On the east side of the river at 86 Argyle St., councillors are considering permitting construction of a residential building up to eight storeys high.
The site has been a parking lot for at least 40 years. Originally, in 1916, it was home to Simcoe’s Lake Erie & Northern Railway station.
Consultant Mike Keene from Fotenn Planning and Design showed councillors concepts for a five- or six-storey building to be built on the parking lot.
The ground floor could have a daycare nursery, laundromat, service shop, hotel, hostel, restaurant, boarding house or emergency shelter.
Depending on the number of storeys, the upper floors would have 38 to 47 apartments. Each apartment would be 800 square feet, Mr. Keene said in an interview.
In 2021 the county asked for expressions of interest to reuse the Pond and Argyle streets properties.
No developers came forward.
Now Norfolk County is preparing the area for revitalization.
It’s “reimagining the possibilities,” Brandon Sloan, general manager of community development, said in an interview.
Norfolk has budgeted $44,195 to amend land uses for the Pond and Argyle streets properties, Mr. Sloan added in an email.
The full budget has not yet been used.
The county retained third-party firm Fotenn Consultants Inc. (and sub-consultants) to prepare land use amendments for the Pond and Argyle streets properties.
The work includes a planning study, engineering and traffic studies.
One complication emerged at last Tuesday’s public hearings meeting.
For 40 years, residents of the Lynn View Terrace seniors residence on Argyle Street have parked cars across the street at the 86 Argyle St. parking lot.
Frank Gelinas, spokesperson for Simcoe Community Homes, asked that any future plans for 86 Argyle St. include 10 parking spaces for Lynn View Terrace residents.
—
Originally published February 12, 2025
