New rental development to bring more affordable housing options

A new rental development is bringing 72 affordable rental units to Barrie.

Construction has begun on the Water Art Collection at 17 Jacobs Terrace in Barrie’s Allandale neighbourhood. The development will include 359 rental units, including 72 affordable units available exclusively to Barrie residents.

The project will consist of two residential towers, standing 15 and 18 storeys tall, along with more than 10,000 square feet of amenity space.

Dignitaries attending the groundbreaking ceremony included Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall, Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson, Vince Gasparro, MP for Eglinton-Lawrence and parliamentary secretary for combating crime, incoming Simcoe County chair Don McIsaac, and officials from the Rinomato Group.

Nuttall said bringing more affordable housing to Barrie will have a positive impact on families and the community.

“I think after this is built, the most beautiful thing will be those families who realize their dreams through it,” he said.

The development is being led by the Rinomato Group. Ernie Ramamato, a founding partner of the company, said the project has been several years in the making.

“When we first envisioned this project, we set out to build a community in a time were finding a great place to live is more important than ever,” he said.

The project is expected to provide substantial employment during construction. Developers estimate it will generate more than 750,000 person-hours of work over the next three years and create more than 1,250 construction jobs by year.

The development is also being built near the Allandale Waterfront GO train station, which developers said will provide future residents with connections to the broader region.

Gasparro said the project demonstrates the importance of co-operation between governments and the private sector as Canada works to increase its housing supply.

“The partnership between Canada’s government and the City of Barrie, and Mayor Nuttall and council, is one that is so critical to getting projects like this built,” he said.

Gasparro added the federal Liberal government is planning new housing funding as part of Budget 2026 and said partnerships with municipalities, private developers and non-profit organizations will be needed to increase housing construction.