Edinburgh Road North is not noted for its commercial amenities. There are only a few between Waterloo Avenue and Speedvale Avenue – an optical shop, a laundromat, a used car dealership and a carwash and petrol station.
But it appears that a commercial development is in the works for 265 Edinburgh, on land formerly owned by Wellington Catholic District School Board.
Few details are known, but a billboard with the image of a proposed commercial retail plaza on the land has recently gone up. The Behar Group Reality Inc. Brokerage is managing the leasing of the property.
An official from that company was not available on Thursday to discuss the plans. The billboard suggests that four commercial buildings are planned, with several businesses in each.
The land has sat vacant for a number of years. City planning documents dating back a few years indicate that it consists of a little over 1.6 hectares of land, with nearly 190 meters along Edinburgh.
Wellington Catholic bought the land in 1992, primarily to build a running track on the north part of it, linked to nearby Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School. For several years there was a gardening centre in the warehouse building along Edinburgh, but that closed several years ago.
The land was first developed in 1952 and had a large metal sintering plant on it, which operated until 1992.
After constructing the running track, the school board deemed the rest of the property surplus. It was sold about three years ago to a developer.
This story will be updated as more information becomes known.
