After several years of seemingly sitting idle, the redevelopment at the former Navistar site is starting to resemble something new.
"It's been about five months since the site was taken over," said Mayor Darrin Canniff during an interview on CK Mornings. "They've been digging up thousands of tons of cement."
Don Tetrault, one of the partners involved in the redevelopment of the site, said crews have started building a 60,000 square foot warehouse that could be used for production, a factory, or several small businesses.
"We have a few clients already looking at the building and can't believe how fast this is going," said Tetrault.
The property was formerly a truck assembly plant and a major employer in the area. However, the company permanently closed the facility in 2011 after it had sat idle for two years.
The site got a new lease on life when investors Rob Myers, Don Tetrault, and Mike Vagi purchased the 80-acre property in May 2021.
According to the site's draft plan, a road will run right through the property from Merrit Avenue to Keil Drive.
"Tetrault talked about there being commercial property running along Richmond Street and then industrial use for the rest of it," said Canniff. "They are ahead of schedule and they have a lot of people interested in it."
Tetrault said the draft plan was not "etched in stone" but rather a concept for the site.
"This is very hard to come by, especially in Southwestern Ontario."
Residents can expect to see the draft plan along the fences surrounding the site in the coming weeks.
