Barrie residents shared their views on the future of Bayfield Street as the city moves forward with a long-term plan to redevelop the corridor into a more vibrant, mixed-use area.
City officials and representatives from engineering and professional services firm WSP hosted a public engagement session Feb. 5 at the East Bayfield Community Centre as part of the Bayfield Street Community Design Plan.
The project is intended to establish a long-term vision and development framework for the corridor, building on initiatives already underway, including transportation improvements, zoning updates and the Highway 400 interchange redesign.
According to the City of Barrie, Bayfield Street has been identified as a mixed-use area expected to accommodate a significant portion of the city’s growth through 2051, when Barrie’s population is projected to reach 298,000.
For some residents, such as Catherine Johnson, the need for revitalization is overdue.
“I’ve lived in the community for 20 years now, and you can see that some of the buildings along Bayfield Street are not being kept up,” she said.
“There are buildings that are boarded up, so a lot needs to be done to improve the area, so we can be proud of it — proud citizens of Barrie.”
Others, like Bryan Bolivar, say the corridor struggles to balance competing roles.
“I cross Bayfield Street numerous times a day, travelling to and from work, so I’m very interested to see what improvements the city is going to be making,” he said.
“It’s interesting to talk to staff and planners here about what the long-term future of the road may start to look like.”
Bolivar said Bayfield Street feels like it is trying to function as both a highway thoroughfare and a commercial main street.
“I feel it’s a road that’s trying to do two jobs at once — one as a highway thoroughfare and another as a commercial corridor — and I’m not sure it’s conducive to do both,” he said.
“Maybe we need to change the face of Bayfield Street.”
City staff say the plan is intended to address those challenges through a coordinated, long-term approach.
“It’s a gateway into the city from Highway 400 and from the north, and it currently serves a broad and wide scope of the area — not just Barrie residents, but the broader region and visitors as well,” said Jordan Lambie, senior urban design planner with the City of Barrie.
Lambie said the corridor presents opportunities to introduce a broader mix of uses, including residential development, while making better use of underutilized land.
“As land values increase and demand for housing grows, some underutilized spaces — like surface parking — are low-hanging fruit,” he said.
“Those are opportunities where we can work with property owners to re-envision how these properties can achieve their highest and best use.”
Lambie said public response to the project has been positive.
“It’s been extremely positive,” he said.
“People have been really excited about seeing investment and a new vision for Bayfield. It’s been exciting to see the momentum from the public and the level of engagement.”
Next steps include confirming the vision, drafting the plan and presenting it to council.
Residents can continue to provide feedback through the city’s project website.
