Nearly a year after taking it off the market, the province is once again trying to sell 328.6 acres of Guelph Innovation District (GID) land. The property went back up for sale on June 1, confirmed an Infrastructure Ontario (IO) spokesperson.
“(The Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario) and IO have been working together since the property was last on the market to make a few changes that have improved the offering, such as removing a leaseback and registering an easement,” communications manager Jeff Giffen explained in an email.
The listed property consists of the former Wellington Detention Centre lands, the former Turfgrass Institute lands and a protected natural area for a bundled total of 328.6 acres located on the northeast corner of Stone Road at Victoria Road.
As approved by city council in 2017, the GID is planned to include a mix of employment, residential and commercial uses, along with natural heritage areas.
“The vision for the lands is a compact, mixed-use community in the east end of the city, that serves predominantly employment uses with a mix of residential and commercial uses,” notes a realtors’ brochure promoting the property. “A series of objectives have been outlined within the (GID) plan, which look towards pedestrian-friendly and transit-oriented development, a diversity of compatible land uses and densities, and the promotion of innovative employment uses.
“Demand for low density residential continues to rise throughout the outer GTA markets, especially in Guelph, where standing inventory is at a record low,” it adds.
The property was taken off the market for review last summer after a potential sale agreement fell through, Giffen said previously.
Purchase offers are due by noon on July 15, the brochure states, at which time they will be reviewed and considered.
The GID lands consist of approximately 1,000 acres in total, including the former Guelph reformatory lands, though that's not up for sale at this point.