“It is a huge day for the future of the City of Belleville, for the future of the Belleville Agricultural Society. We have been working on this for literally for decades to find a more appropriate site for them. But to also give them a new lease on their life. They’ve got a 200 year history of being a really important part of our community and this now puts them in good shape for the future.” Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk
The City of Belleville and the Belleville Agricultural Society have come to an agreement to relocate their activities and operations from their current Belleville Fairgrounds property on Sidney Street in west end Belleville. There are 33 years left on the current lease for the Ag Society for the current location. They are the third oldest agriculture society in Canada.
As part of the deal, the Ag Society will move to a 25 to 30 acre piece of property, north of the 401 at Highway 37 and Black Diamond Road. The municipality is also planning on servicing the land in the area, which Panciuk says will make it attractive to commercial and light industrial use, and will become higher taxable property in the city. Currently at Black Diamond Road, there is gas and water service, and they will move waste water (sewer) from north of Highway 37 to the land. There will be an additional 30 acres acres for sale.
Mayor Panciuk.
“The deal that we have been able to make, will allow us to acquire and sell new serviced land on Highway 37, which will also be very valuable. That’s the way that we have been able to structure this deal so that taxpayers aren’t funding through taxes for this relocation. The proceeds we make from the sale of the land will fully pay for the relocation.”
MORE BELOW
Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk at City Hall looking over drawings for a new building and new site for the Belleville Agricultural Society (Photo: Tim Durkin/ Quinte News)
Panciuk says the city will also be constructing a building at the new site.
“To allow them to have more activities. We expect them to have year around activities and it will be built in such a way that it will qualify for nationally sanctioned, for example horse shows.”
He adds it will be the only facility of its type between Ottawa and Toronto, which will create tourism. The goal for both the BAS and the City of Belleville is for it to be a year round facility, not just a site which hosts events a few days annually. The city will put the building through the public tendering process.
MORE BELOW
A look at the drawings for a proposed building for the site
An overhead drawing of the new land where the Belleville Agricultural Society will call home
His Worship says they hope they will be able to expand trails over/under the 401 to the site. Those discussions will involve the Ministry of Transportation, and be part of the Active Transportation Plan. They city will look at the unused rail track as the floor for the trail.
Five acres of the existing fairgrounds site will be turned over to the YMCA Central East Ontario for their new build. The five-acre piece of land is expected to be directly behind the Quinte Curling Club. Dave Allen is the President and CEO of the YMCA Central East Ontario (Peterborough, Quinte West, Belleville). He says this is wonderful news for the future of the city, and for the Y. With the move to the new location, it opens up a large piece of land in the east end of the city, at Victoria Avenue, at Rollins Drive. Allen says as part of the land donation for the current YMCA site, if the club ever left the property, it would then be given over to the city. It is estimated that a new facility will cost more than $22 million. Peterborough, and Quinte West, which are both part of the Central East Ontario, got new facilities in in 2007 and 2009.
As far as the Quinte Curling Club is concerned, it will be staying put. Panciuk says there are talks of renovation and expansion of the current site. The Curling Club is currently working on making the facility more accessible, and there are discussions about expansion or renovation.
As far as the other 21 acres and what will be done, the mayor says that is still to be determined. If it was up to him however?
“A mix of commercial, particularly on the corner of Bridge and Sidney, as well as some residential, and we have a need for it. And then there’s going to be some community recreation space or parkland space that we will try to keep.”
MORE BELOW
A look back at a fall fair. It cannot be dated exactly, but predictions have it in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s according to city officials
He adds that the next few months will move quickly on the project. Panciuk says all purchase agreements, the legal documents, and the drawings will need to go out for the new site. There will also need to be some environmental assessments done at Bridge West and Sidney. He says there may be some concerns of contaminants from the former Nortel site just to the north of the fairgrounds. Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School beside Nortel needed a large cleanup and HVAC retrofit of the building, but it is not known what will be in the ground at the fairgrounds. The current barns and the grandstands could be torn down, while assessments are being done.
The Ben Bleecker property at the northeast corner of Bridge Street West and Sidney was sold in 2016, and Panciuk says there are Memorandums of Understanding to turn that site into commercial, residential, and recreational parkland. He adds that the new property will cost about $1.6 million, but the funds will not go on the tax base.
“The gain from the property that we are selling at the old Ben Bleecker site, is what is actually allowing us to purchase the new property, and then the sale of those will pay for all of the improvements.”
With so many unknowns about the current fairgrounds site, and what is to come, how much money the coffers will see from taxes is not known at this time. The mayor says there will be a lot of community discussion and consultation. He believes if realized, the new agreement could bring upwards of $80-$90 million over the life of the deal.
Panciuk says his goal is to have the 2022 Fall Fair at the new site of the Belleville Agricultural Society.
More details to come throughout the day Thursday.
