Wasaga releases RFP for beachfront development

Wasaga Beach has formally asked for requests for proposals to redevelop the main beachfront.

Town officials will send the RFP documents to an already-approved list of six companies on Nov. 13.

The bids for the municipally owned parts of the commercial strip will be evaluated based on each company’s development experience, financial ability to take on the project, how it fits with council’s vision, proposed improvements to the public realm, parking and the price to purchase the land.

Five development blocks will be up for grabs. An area designated as Festival Square will not be part of the RFP; in an email to Simcoe.com, CAO George Vadeboncoeur said the intent behind keeping that area — approximately at the top end of the Main Street pedestrian mall — is so it can be developed in the future as a public square.

Along with a review by an evaluation team made up of Mayor Nina Bifolchi, Vadeboncoeur, director of public works Kevin Lalonde, and director of planning and economic initiatives Doug Herron, the proponents will be required to make a presentation to council.

Those presentations will be held behind closed doors.

While he was pleased that councillors will now be part of the presentations by potential developers, Coun. Joe Belanger did express concern about councillors being limited to asking just one question.

“That is not the kind of input I would expect from council members on the most significant project we’ve ever undertaken,” he said. “If there are questions, concerns, clarifications, we’re entitled to that.”

He was also disappointed that councillors had limited time and access to review the RFP documents prior to their approval on Nov. 12.

Vadeboncoeur said the idea behind limiting the number of questions was to keep meetings to a reasonable length of time. He did acknowledge a councillor could ask a supplementary question.

“It was all in the context of providing an hour, hour-and-15-minute opportunity to make a presentation and ask questions,” he said.

The deadline to respond back to the town is Feb. 26. Vadeboncouer presented a timeline that would see the preferred proponents selected by the end of April, followed by a negotiation process with the preferred proponents and a final approval of a developer, or developers, by mid-July.

Along with the town’s consultants, Deloitte, the municipality will also hire a “fairness monitor” who will oversee the evaluation process to ensure it is fair.

“Today marks a significant milestone for our community as we officially move into the next phase of the beachfront redevelopment process,” Bifolchi said. “Council is excited to see what plans developers have to revitalize this important part of our community.”