HALTON HILLS, ON – Despite economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19, development and investment interest in the Premier Gateway (Halton Hills’ main employment area along the Steeles Avenue corridor), continues to move forward. This is due in part to the Town’s ‘open for business’ approach which includes early, decisive and coordinated actions to assist companies and attract non-residential assessment and local jobs.
“I think it is particularly important right now, that we share and celebrate good news,” said Mayor Rick Bonnette. “That’s why I am so pleased to advise that Toromont is the latest company to establish their headquarters in Halton Hills.”
Toromont CIMCO is a leading manufacturer of industrial and recreational refrigeration equipment for various industries with plans to open an 84,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility (including office space) which is anticipated to create over 200 jobs. Reeve Whitman, Manager, Corporate Facilities spoke to his experience with the municipality:
“The Town of Halton Hills provided attentive, prompt and meaningful services that enabled us to successfully complete our due diligence for a local land purchase on a very tight timeline. Each and every department were accessible and engaged at Town Hall and were able to nurture external relations with the Region, Halton Conservation and MTO. Thank you to Economic Development, Planning, Engineering, Council and all the support staff involved in our project.”
According to Chief Administrative Officer Brent Marshall, the Town’s success in attracting investment stems from a commitment to remain ‘open for business’ during the pandemic. “We have implemented a number of new actions in addition to continuing to process new and existing development applications and advancing the business concierage initiative - a process to fast-track approvals for major investments”, he said. “Staff is conducting virtual building permit inspections; conducted a COVID-19 business survey and established an Economic Support and Recovery Task Force.”
The Premier Gateway continues to attract interest from a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, hospitality, tourism, outdoor recreation and logistics investors. These opportunities represent approximately 5 million square feet of development, considerable financial investment and local jobs. Included are investments that are under construction, moving through the development review process and those being contemplated for the future.
Several other leading companies have construction plans for millions of square feet of industrial space in the Premier Gateway. Gus Tsoraklidis, Vice President, QuadReal Property Group notes:
“QuadReal is a global real estate company. We manage a $37.6 billion real estate portfolio in 17 countries. In Canada, this includes 40 million square feet of commercial real estate. In Halton Hills, at about 1.1 million square feet, we own the largest single-tenant development, so we are very familiar with the Town. During these challenging COVID-19 times, it’s been a great and seamless experience working with Town staff to keep our project and new investment opportunities on track.”
The Premier Gateway Employment Area is located along Steeles Avenue between Milton to the west and Brampton to the east. The Gateway is Halton Hills’ main employment area. It is forecast to accommodate the vast majority of future non-residential development and jobs in Halton Hills. Growth in the Premier Gateway supports the delivery of services that Halton Hills residents and business rely on. The Gateway is already home to a number of leading companies, including Kraft-Heinz, Bradford White, Hayward Gordon, HPG, Toronto Premium Outlets, QRC Logistics and many others.
To ensure continued growth of the local economy and accelerate recovery post COVID-19, the municipality has several key initiatives underway. Included is a 5-year Economic Development and Tourism Strategy; implementation of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Strategy; a comprehensive Business Retention and Expansion Strategy, preparation of the Phase 2B Secondary Plan, and launch of a new tourism website. Visit investhaltonhills.com for more details, including business support tools and resources.
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