Ajax ready to grow from town to city
Grand Harwood Place promises vibrant downtown, says mayor
A master-planned development of condos, retail and office space is hoped to provide an injection of urban appeal to the town of Ajax.
Named Grand Harwood Place, the development is eyeing a 2015 construction start if pre-sales are strong and final approval is given to the site plan.
“In many ways it will be the last part of implementing our vision for a vibrant, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly, transitoriented type of downtown that we’re trying to accomplish,” said Ajax Mayor Steve Parish.
“The transformation, as I see it, is from a suburban municipality to a much more urban place.”
Ajax Plaza is the site of the anticipated new build. Once a vibrant symbol of prosperity, the 1954-era shopping centre is no longer adequate for a city of 110,000 people.
Parish believes the development will help transform Ajax into an urban centre in its own right, and spur additional developments and service amenities like restaurants and pubs, as well as cultivate a cultural and entertainment aspect.
Moreover, Parish says Grand Hardwood Place will satisfy a need for different living options.
Citing empty-nesters and first-time buyers, he said Ajax is scant on condominium options — a sharp contrast to other suburban municipalities around the GTA. Referencing Mississauga, Parish says the resale housing market in Ajax has matured to such an extent that it can now support a condominium market.
“The demographics are right; you now have a significant number people over a certain age, have a certain net worth, and Ajax is stepping into that territory.”
Phase A of Grand Harwood Place will be comprised of two 10-storey buildings with eight storeys of condominiums, totalling 268 units; 30,000 sq-ft of ground-level retail and 25,000 sq-ft of office space; private underground and decked parking; cycling and pedestrian amenities. Phase B, which will not proceed until Phase A is completed, will add 112 stacked townhouses. It is expected to cost $118.7 million. Laura Starr, Principal of Windcorps Development, Grand Harwood Place’s builder, is confident the project — still in the registration stage for interested buyers — will be a success.
“There’s a void right now in the local market for condominium housing product,” said Starr.
Durham Region’s hosts 600,000 residents and the federal government announced Pickering will host an international airport within two decades’ time
“There’s nothing right now on the market and the fact that it’s a mixeduse project is very attractive to people,” adding that its proximity to the Ajax GO station and line is another attractive boon.
Starr says the site is the linchpin of Ajax and is central to its transformation. She points to the Durham Region’s 600,000 residents, its expected growth, and the federal government’s June, 2013 announcement that neighbouring Pickering will host an international airport within two decades’ time. “Ajax is going to continue to intensify,” she said.
“There are a number of other sites that also comprise part of what they call downtown, and we believe over time the whole part of Ajax’s downtown will be redeveloped in a similar fashion to the type of project we’re proposing.”
Ajax Plaza currently has 32 owners, and while the town possesses expropriation rights, it will look to acquire the land amicably.
One such owner is Jeffrey Wilson, who along with his brother co-owns Reed’s Florist. Reed’s has been around for101years, and as one of the first businesses at Ajax Plaza, has been there for all 59 years of its existence.
“Ajax Plaza needs redevelopment,” Wilson said. “The residents have been asking for it. It’s an exciting time to be living in Ajax.”