Potential Funding On The Horizon Has Barrie City Hall Hitting Pause on Some Downtown Market Plans

Cost Could Be Offset By Public Infrastructure Transit Fund

A Year-Round Downtown Marketplace will have to wait, while Barrie City Staff anticipate better funding options. A report presented to Barrie Council on Monday night has council shelving the entire idea of revamping the downtown bus terminal into an all-year market until more is known of future provincial and federal transit funding plans.

City staff say more funding could come from the recently-created Public Infrastructure Transit Fund. The fund was introduced in the 2016 federal budget, with up to $3.4 billion to be spent in public transit from it. The guidelines of this fund, requirements and restrictions to apply for it are not yet known, and city staff are hoping it can apply for funding to offset the marketplace cost.

Related: Year Round Public Market Coming to Downtown Barrie

At a cost of about $14 million, the downtown public market would take over the transit hub and bring with it a full-year location for a farmer’s market among other vendor options. City staff presented two additional options on top of the proposed market, that would not only reduce the cost by either $2m or $4m, but would significantly reduce the scope of the project too.