Plans to build a large mixed use residential subdivision adjacent to the Black Bear Ridge Golf Resort took a giant leap forward in becoming a reality.
Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark officially approved a Minister’s Zoning Order for the development called the Black Bear Ridge Village.
The property is located north of the 401 in the rural portion of Belleville’s municipal borders.
“We’ve gone ahead and submitted an application for a 3,049 unit residential, mixed-use subdivision along with an expansion of the resort,” said Alex Sharpe, president and managing partner of Black Bear Ridge.
Sharpe says the project will turn the area into a community of its own and offer a variety of experiences for its residents.
“Riverfront amenity space, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, winter-time activities, we’re adjacent to the regional snowmobile trail,” said Sharpe.
Belleville city council gave the plan its stamp of approval last March.
“This would be similar to what the federal government invested when they created CFB Trenton, so it’s a huge, huge investment,” Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk told Global Kingston.
The sprawling rural property is 900 acres.
“The goal here with the approval is to provide not only housing for affluent folks but again, with a mix of housing options, so, townhomes, mid-rise apartment buildings, along with retail,” said Sharpe.
The entire project has a 15-year timeline for completion.