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If all goes as planned, work will begin on the Ripley Market Square project this summer.

That's the word from developer David Brown as he spoke to about 60 people at an open house Thursday night (May 20) in the auditorium at the Ripley Complex.

"This project is moving forward," he said, "and I'm very excited about it."

He admitted it's been a slow progress, with little happening since the last open house about a year-and-a-half ago. However, he said engineers have been working on the details and he expects to begin work on the Granary building (former Courtney Seeds) this summer.

"We hope to have drawings done by the end of this month and have the township review them and get a building permit and site plan agreement by the end of June," said Brown. "Then we can start construction this summer."

The Granary will likely take almost a year to complete, he said, because it's over 100 years old and must be handled with care . The north-half will be renovated and restored to the original historic look, while the south-half will be demolished and reconstructed.

Due to the water table on the property, the market square will remain at ground level, rather than dug down a level as was originally planned, said Brown.

This means the north half of the Granary will be two storeys - the top floor residential and the bottom floor commercial, plus a basement for electrical servicing. Meanwhile, the south half will be three storeys high, with residential in the top two floors, and commercial in the bottom floor, plus a basement, partially above ground, opening onto the courtyard in the centre of the market square.

"The completion of the Granary is critical," Brown said. "That will determine how successful the entire Ripley Square project will be."

The initial part of the project, estimated to cost $2-million to $2.5-million, will provide numerous construction jobs, he said. The entire project is expected to cost $10-million to $12-million.

The purpose of the open house was to ascertain expressions of interest for various things to do with the project. One of those was construction jobs and contracts because Brown wants to hire local contractors to do the work.

The Granary will have 31 elevator-accessible apartments upstairs, including bachelor, one-bedroom and two-bedroom, and open concept loft style, said Brown. 

The Canada Mortage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has shown interest in being involved, and if so, these apartments will have to meet guidelines for affordable rents and maximum household income, he added. Currently, monthly inclusive CMHC rents for the Granary project are $640 for two-bedroom, and $545 for one-bedroom, and maximum monthly household income is in the $25,000 to $30,000 range.

As for the commercial aspect, Brown has created a business incubator project which means he provides a 10-foot-by-10-foot indoor space rent-free for two months. He will act as a mentor and business coach for the two months to help businesses become successful. After the two-month trial period, successful businesses would have the opportunity to stay on as tenants at an initial rent of $/square foot per month - minimum $100/month.

Some businesses that would fit in would be retail (giftware, clothing, used books), manufacturing (crafts, shoe repair), foods (muffins, chocolate, ice cream), hospitality/tourism (travel agency, farm tours), personal service (barber, music lessons), arts and crafts (artist, needlepoint, jewellery), health/lifestyle (health foods, cosmetics, yoga).

Developer David Brown answers questions about the Ripley Market Square project

And finally, Brown wants to create a Ripley Outdoor Summer Market, beginning July 1, on the old Thompson Feed property, east of Lewis Park. The market would be moved to the courtyard once the Ripley Square project is completed.

Space is free for vendors, said Brown, encouraging people to indicate their interest in becoming a vendor or a patron of the market.

During a brief question period, Brown said that he is prepared to help small businesses get started, but for financial support, they would be looking at government programs or checking with Bruce Community Futures Development Corporation.

He said brief information sessions will be available for those who are interested in setting up a business, or a group of people who want to open a business.

Brown urged people to fill out the expressions of interest so he can start drawing up specifics for the development of businesses at Ripley Square.

To view the initial drawings of the Granary project, click here.

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Sunday, May 23, 2010