02-05-2015, 12:54 PM
(02-04-2015, 01:31 AM)white_brian Wrote: I have said it before and I'll say it again. Sun Life (or present owner) has the perfect opportunity to make a huge profit with that parcel of land.
Around the perimeter of the property make it street front retail and live/work space and above that small office spaces. In the center of that you can have one hell of a parking structure with the opportunity to have one or more pedestals above.
With the hospital to the left and Sun Life to the right plus surrounding neighbourhoods there are lots of potential customers to support prospective commercial tenants. Add to that the profit from the parking (to my non-professional mind) its a no-brainer... (it's not like they'd be out of pocket for long)
Considering that this property is next to the largest hospital in the region, a mixed use development could/should include a Boardwalk-style medical building. That might even include a 24hr walk-in clinic to take pressure off GRH's Emergency department. With McMaster's family medicine school and UW's pharmacy school just down the street there could be further synergies. There are also myriad standalone medical facilities in the area including doctors' and dentists' offices, various medical test services, pharmacies, the occupants of the small medical building on Pine St, etc. that would be attracted to a such a facility.