A long-anticipated downtown seniors residence in Barrie is now targeting a spring 2028 opening, with construction expected to ramp up in May.
The Residences on Owen is a planned 20-storey, multi-building seniors living development at 55–57 McDonald St., 61–67 Owen St., and 70–78 Worsley St., across from the downtown Barrie Public Library.
Ground was broken in September 2023, with an original opening date of 2026. The timeline was later pushed to 2027 and has now been extended to 2028.
Construction has unfolded alongside major downtown road closures and infrastructure upgrades along Owen Street, affecting site access and project timelines.
Bruce Stewart of Traditions Development Company, which is overseeing the project, said work will accelerate once weather conditions improve and infrastructure work now largely complete.
“Now that the city has completed the majority of the infrastructure work along Owen Street, we can begin to move forward with construction once the weather breaks and snow melts,” he said.
“Access to our construction barriers has been impeded by the snow accumulation along our jersey barriers. We expect to begin construction of the entire development by May and hope to begin welcoming occupants in the spring of 2028.”
In a previous interview with Compass News, Stewart cited pandemic and post-pandemic challenges, as well as the need to co-ordinate construction with the City of Barrie’s infrastructure replacement project along Owen Street, as key factors behind delays.
“We have had pandemic and post-pandemic challenges, and we are trying to coordinate our development with the City of Barrie’s plans to replace the infrastructure along Owen Street during our construction period,” he said.
The project has also increased in size. The number of units was revised upward from 278 to 356, requiring redesigns to structural, mechanical and electrical systems.
Once complete, the development is expected to add significant seniors housing capacity to Barrie’s downtown core – an area long identified by city officials for intensification and revitalization.
Other major developments are also planned in the area, including two proposed 33-storey residential towers at 50 Worsley St., as well as a proposed 26-storey mixed-use building spanning 17 Sophia St. E., 3, 5, 7 and 11 McDonald St., and 58 and 60 Clapperton St.
