Need for Retail

There is a need for a regional scale retail facility at the south end of Barrie to keep Barrie shopping dollars at home, and to provide up-scale shopping for the Greater Barrie region, cottagers and tourists.

• Barrie is home to the fourth busiest retail sector in Canada and if we want to stay that way we have to remain competitive.
• According to Barrie’s Official Plan, it makes sense to develop at the remaining corner of an existing retail area. The Molson property is central to south Barrie, with highway access.
• Lifestyle centres are huge regional shopping draws – it will recapture Barrie dollars currently being spent in the Greater Toronto Area.
• Location and uniqueness of the development will attract cottagers off the highway to spend money in Barrie.
• Park Place, along with Georgian Mall, will form the framework which will continue to attract regional shoppers to Barrie and funnel on-going, support to the downtown.

Park Place will regain local shopping dollars currently leaking to Toronto, retain existing shopping dollars, attract visitors from throughout the Huronia region and lure the cottage-bound tourists into Barrie.