Kingston East Business Association discusses development, infrastructure improvements

Kingston East residents will soon have more retail choices on their side of the causeway.

Dozens of business owners at the Kingston East Business Association (KEBA) breakfast heard the equivalent of a state of the union address for the area.

Rapid growth and development have led to the need for infrastructure improvements.

Among the projects underway: widening Highway 15 between Highway 2 to Gore Road, plus a new community centre.

Mayor Bryan Paterson says talks to secure more money for the third bridge crossing are going well.

Martin Sherris, CEO of the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce, says the bridge is an important link for businesses and residents in one of the city’s most rapidly growing areas.

“You’re talking about 17,000 residents,” said Sherris. “You’re also talking about CFB Kingston which is ever-expanding and will continue to do so at a more rapid rate over the next five years.”

The new owners of the Rideau Town Centre M+H Properties Group also spoke to area business owners about retail competition with the new mall on Highway 15 that’s set to open early next year.

“It’s not sort of that dying plaza that there’s been a little bit of rumour about,” said Brad McDonald from M + H Property Group. “We have a lot of optimism about what’s going on in the community for sure and certainly what we can do with that plaza going forward.”

The Rideau Town Centre’s owners say they are currently working on attracting some of those businesses that have been identified as being needed here in the east end of the city and, in the long-term, they’re also looking at expanding the mall into a two-acre parcel of undeveloped land on site, with talk of a hardware store and other retail possibilities.

It’s a project that KEBA chair Derek Bayliss says has been in development for some time.

“I know that they’re in talks with the Beer Store and I’ve been helping them with it for two or three years now, and it’s definitely a slow ride but we’re going forward,” Bayliss said.

As for the new Riverview Shopping Centre, plans include opening a Food Basics, Starbucks, Pet Valu and St. Louis Wings Bar and Grill, according to Taggart Realty.