REDEVELOPMENT
Home ice advantage in Port McNicoll
October 24, 2009
Gale Beeby
REAL ESTATE EDITOR
PORT McNICOLL–Mike Keenan knows a lot about home ice advantage and now he's learning about the advantage of owning a house in his hometown.
Although Keenan, who won a Stanley Cup while coaching the New York Rangers in the 1993-94 season, actually grew up in Bowmanville, he considers this his hometown and proudly boasts he's part of the third generation of his family in this former shipping town.
Port McNicoll's boom times began a century ago when Canadian Pacific built a 1.6-kilometre-long deep water slip as the southern base for their Great Lakes Passenger Fleet. Travellers would have to come to the small town near Midland by train to board one of CP's ships, most famously the Keewatin and the Assiniboia, travelling through the 30,000 Islands to Thunder Bay. CP closed the docks, however, in 1965, leaving the town separated from the waterfront by the derelict port.
Today, Skyline International, with Gil Blutrich at the helm, is undertaking a massive $1.6 billion, 10-year redevelopment of the remediated site, which includes 334 hectares (825 acres) and nearly 11 kilometres of shoreline. Although it seems like a massive parcel, the purchase includes 162 hectares (400 acres) of water, 172 hectares (425 acres) of land, of which only 10 hectares, or 25 acres, is developable.
And Mike Keenan was one of the first purchasers, snapping up a deep-water lot on the north side of the slip.
"He just came into my office and bellowed, 'I want to help you out,' " recalls Blutrich of the day he met the fiery hockey coach – nicknamed Iron Mike – who is best known for his quick temper and demanding work ethic.
"Well," Keenan says, "this is where I came from, where I spent my youth fishing in the summer and winter, and swimming and boating. I'm just so excited about what Gil has planned that I wanted to be involved."
Gil Blutrich was a hot young developer – at 16, he became the youngest registered entrepreneur in Israel – who moved to Canada in 1998 and founded Skyline International Developments Inc.
In 2004, Blutrich built the Pantages Suites Hotel and Spa, and followed that up with the Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel. He recently bought Horseshoe Resort — built by Intrawest, the champions of life/work/play resorts – which is only 20 kilometres from the shores of Port McNicoll.
The mixed-use community Blutrich envisions will be based on the framework of an old Ontario town, but one that is flexible enough to support growth. And this, Blutrich says, will give the development – and the existing town – a sense of place.
Blutrich hopes that giving Port McNicoll a recreation-based waterfront will make it the key gateway to the 30,000 Islands, which is the largest freshwater archipelago in the world, and to the Trent-Severn Waterway.
The master plan that Blutrich and his team have devised for Port McNicoll also fits with his philosophy of first-class buildings and first- class service.
"We want to bring the port back to life," Blutrich states.
That may be an understatement.
Working with Tay Township Mayor Scott Warnock and his council, Skyline has developed a plan that will extend the current main street – Fourth Ave. – of Port McNicoll right to the water's edge. This area will be known as Harbour Town and the goal is to make it the economic heart.
"It's a way to integrate the town with our development," says Paul Ward, vice-president, land development with Skyline. "It creates a vibrancy with the town, which has good bones, and brings the town to the water and water to town."
"This is beyond my expectations," says Warnock, adding that his council is open-minded and very progressive. "Gil has been patient with the township and with the people. But we're ready for a change."
It will see a mix of commercial and civic uses, along with public amenities and recreation and an artist's village. The newly christened Main St. will lead to a waterfront promenade, a marine village with boating and fishing, a seaplane terminal and a cruise ship dock.
At the end of the southern part of slip, where Skyline has spent $3 million erecting a new seawall, Blutrich plans to build a flagship hotel that will be a replica of the old Muskoka-style hotels and resorts and will feature a world-class spa. (There will be other hotel facilities, totalling 300 rooms. All of the hotel's services will be available to owners on an a la carte basis.)
Phase 1 of Blutrich's scheme will concentrate on the higher-end housing, with prices starting around $1 million. Lots are 50 to 100 feet wide and 120 to 150 feet deep. All will include private docks with enough water frontage to accommodate a yacht, sail boat, power boat or seaplane.
All the homes in this part of the development are custom built, with strict architectural guidelines to ensure that all fit the overall vision of the project.
Phase 2, which goes to market next year, will include residences from 700 to 1,200 square feet, priced from $199,000.
Skyline Development's plans to revitalize Port McNicoll have kick-started the economy of this Georgian Bay community.
It's pointed out that construction alone will create 10,000 jobs – a $1.2 billion boost to the GDP, which is equivalent to three car plants, Ward points out.
As well, there will be jobs created in the many small commercial endeavours, tourist industry and the hotel staff, adding to the area's economy.
The diversity in pricing will mean the 1,453 residential unit, master-planned development will appeal to all ages and socio-economic groups, from baby boomers looking to downsize, students (Georgian College has a campus in Midland), young families and cottagers.
The area has an abundance of trails – biking, hiking, equestrian, nordic skiing and snowmobiling – which connects Port McNicoll to the Wye Marsh, Horseshoe Resort, and south.
And amazing fishing — the area is teeming with bass, walleye, sturgeon and musky.
I know because avid fisherman Mike Keenan told me – and I know better than to ever question Iron Mike.
The on-site presentation centre at the end of Talbot St. is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 1-877-678-7678 or go to www.portmcnicoll.ca.
Toronto Star