Newmarket Must Save York Region From Itself

The York Administrative building is currently surrounded by parkland, but if the Region of York gets its way, the greenery will soon be replaced by a $200 million office tower. 

What the Region wants to do is to re-locate existing employees who are currently occupying offices in other locations around Newmarket to the proposed office tower.  Effectively, landlords across the town will see their cornerstone tenant leave and drive up vacancy rates at a time when our local economy can least afford this type of upheaval. 

And speaking of not being able to afford something, the Region of York can not afford to take on the additional debt required to finance this project.  Two years ago, York Region hit its debt ceiling.  Ontario municipalities are only allowed to accumulate debt equal to 25% of their revenues.  The Ontario government had to step in with special legislation to allow the Region of York to borrow more. 

Now the Region wants to add an additional $200 million in debt to what is already one of the worst public debt loads in the history of our Province. 

Fortunately, Newmarket Council can stop this madness by refusing their plans for the new office tower. 

The Region of York must ask the Town of Newmarket to sign off on this construction project and I think Council should refuse to green light it. 

There are alternatives to spending $200,000,000 on a new office tower.

1. Leave the York Region employees as tenants across town.  There is nothing to be gained by emptying out office space that so many landlords are dependent on;  
2. Require that the York Regional Police Headquarters re-locate to their brand new $72 million "Central Services" building in Aurroa which frees up valuable space within  the York Region Administrative Building; and 
3. Leave the court rooms that are currently located at the Tannery Mall where they are. 

Unless the Region of York can come up with a clear reason explaining the $200,000,000 benefit (plus carrying costs) to York taxpayers, then Newmarket Council has no other option but to do the responsible thing and kill this project immediately. 

I will be watching closely if the Mayor and Regional Councillor (both of whom receive remuneration for sitting on York Region Council) will declare a pecuniary interest when this matter comes to Council.  You can be assured that I will report back to readers if they do not.