Jun 10, 2008 - 12:16 PM

By Reka Szekely

WHITBY -- Developers are looking to build a retail complex, including a Canadian Tire and a grocery store, in an area of Brooklin currently set aside for employment lands in the Region's Official Plan.

Trinity Development Group, Canada's second largest shopping centre developer, wants to build the complex on a 48-acre piece of land located at Winchester and Thickson roads. In addition to 240,000 square feet of retail space, the complex would include 120,000 square feet of office space in four, three-story office buildings on the south side of the property.

"What we're proposing in Brooklin is a departure from what Trinity usually does," said Brent Clarkson, speaking for the developers at last week's Regional planning committee meeting. He listed large shopping centres such as the Colossus Centre in Vaughan as examples of Trinity's work. The group does not generally construct office buildings.

The development's anchors would be a 40,000-square-foot food store and a 57,000-square-foot Canadian Tire. Mr. Clarkson said the stores hadn't signed on yet, but his group has received letters of intent.

He made the case that there's a shortage of retail offerings in the immediate community. According to the data he presented, less than 25 per cent of residents shop at local supermarkets and less than 15 per cent do their non-food shopping in Brooklin.

"Most of the Brooklin residents have to go outside of their community for their shopping needs."

However, the site of the proposed complex is designated an employment area under Durham's official plan. Office buildings are allowed under that designation, but retail buildings are not. Changing the designation could be done through the Region's current planning exercise to conform with the Province's Growth Plan. Mr. Clarkson's presentation was part of the public meeting portion of Trinity's application to amend the official plan to allow for a mixed-use retail-office use.

He said his group did not see it as a conversion of employment lands.

"This form of development will actually yield more jobs than your typical industrial development," he said, adding the complex would generate 1,100 new jobs.

But not everyone was sold on the idea.

"If the selling feature is supposed to be the office component, and you take an entire employment block and turn it into retail, I don't think you're doing anyone any favours," said Whitby Mayor Pat Perkins.

Regional Chairman Roger Anderson questioned the nature of the jobs, many of which would be part-time.

"My concern is you keep promising the jobs, and I agree 1,100 jobs is good ... but I don't think (residents) should go to college to work at a retail store either," he said.

As well, Mr. Clarkson said discussions with the Brooklin Downtown Business Association (BDBA) haven't been particularly positive. However, he said he thought there would be opportunities for cross-shopping with the downtown.

BDBA president David Stewart, who did not attend the public meeting, was more blunt.

"We oppose what they're doing 100 per cent," he said.

Mr. Stewart thinks building the complex on the outskirts of Brooklin will kill the traditional downtown.

"What they're doing is what's happened over and over in small towns in Ontario," he said, adding there's room for new retail southwest of the current downtown at Hwy. 7 and Hwy. 12 (Baldwin Street).

Trinity's application will go to the Region's Planning Department to be processed. As well, the developers have filed an appeal with the Ontario Municipal Board, which Mr. Clarkson called a "friendly appeal." The appeal is on the basis that the Region failed to make a decision on the amendment within 180 days. The developers said they would fund the Region's peer review of the technical reports submitted in support of the application.