Firm hired to design city’s new research, innovation park at Trent

City council has taken the next step toward helping Trent University develop its new research and innovation park.

Trent is about to establish a business park on campus where green technology companies will set up shop. The city will be servicing the land, which is vacant.

On Monday night, councillors voted to hire a Toronto firm – Brook McIlroy – to do detailed engineering drawings. They will team up with local firm D.M. Wills to do the work.

The cost to the city, for the design work, is expected to be $294,444 (including tax).

Councillors also voted to enter into an agreement with the first tenant of the park, Noblegen, Inc.

Noblegen was founded by Adam Noble, 22, a scientist whose company has gone from developing new water purification methods using algae to creating new products for the food and beverage industry.

The agreement allows Noblegen to have its preferred location within the park.

Coun. Henry Clarke said he thinks it’s good news all around.

He said it’s excellent for Trent, for the city and for Noble, who plans to build a $20-million facility in the research park for his flourishing company.

“It’s super-good news,” Clarke said.

In other business at the committee of the whole meeting on Monday night:

Parking garage repairs

Councillors approved a plan to add $177,775 to the repair bill for the Simcoe Street parking garage. The city had originally planned to do repairs in the amount of roughly $752,000.

But now a city staff report recommends adding $177,775 to upgrade barrier walls and guardrails, plus about $120,000 in HST.

That brings the final cost to $1,050,911.30.

Prince St. traffic calming measures rejected

Councillors voted to stick with an earlier plan not to add any traffic calming measures on Prince St.

Although a group of neighbours have long been concerned about speedy traffic on Prince St., there was a poor response to a neighbourhood survey the city carried out in April.

The city had distributed surveys to ask residents of Prince St. and the next street over, Princess St., whether they think traffic calming measures are needed – and if so, what type of measures.

In April, 75.7 per cent of households didn’t respond (ie: 24 of the 98 surveys were filled out and returned).

Council gave the neighbourhood a second chance to speak up, and redistributed the same survey to 98 households in June.

This time, 71.4 per cent of households didn’t respond (ie: 28 of the 98 surveys were retuned).

Of 28 surveys returned, 12 said that no traffic-calming measures are necessary.

Another 16 surveys said traffic-calming measures were warranted, but there was no consensus on a preferred method.

NOTE: See more city council coverage on Pages A1 and A2.