Lindsay development facing virus delays

LINDSAY — The commercial retail portion of a Lindsay longrumoured to be a Walmart store will be delayed as a result of the pandemic, said its developer.

Carmine Nigro, president of the Craft Development Corp., reports there have been some “major challenges” with COVID-19 for the development at Highway 35 and Colborne Street West.

The Craft development includes more than 500 homes and a100,000-square-foot commercial building long-rumoured to be the future home of a Walmart, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

Craft has been involved in the development of more than 1.8 million square feet of commercial, retail and residential projects, according to its website. These projects include popular restaurant chains, banks, grocers and mixed retailers such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Staples and Walmart.

The development has been in the works for at least 15 years. Craft purchased it about three years ago. Kawartha Lakes approved the subdivision official plan and zoning for 563 units last December.

Craft’s plans have been affected by the coronavirus response, Nigro said. Through the pandemic, Nigro said, development tenants and the municipality have had to work remotely and from home. Working outside of regular routines has slowed productivity such as limiting access to needed files.

“This has further impeded the process and set us back numerous months,” Nigro said. “With time we are learning to deal with these challenges, and with the City of Kawartha (Lakes) staff guidance and patience, we are once again finding our path to seeing this project to fruition.”

Before the pandemic, Craft’s development president said he wanted to see houses being built by the spring, people moving in by the fall of 2021 and the commercial development opening in 2022.

Setbacks aside, Nigro said the development has completed the tender process and is still on track to servicing the site this winter. He also anticipates opening the Sugarwood home sales office — currently under construction at the site — by mid-November.

Nigro said the development has had to limit its marketing and sales events due to provincial gathering restrictions. Its potential sales have been restricted as a result.

Still, the development has sold 108 homes so far — 40 on opening day. Nigro said most of the sales have been to GTA families who are reinventing their work lives due to the pandemic and finding they can seek healthier lifestyles in small town Ontario.