The Holiday Inn Hotel planned up near the Home Depot is still stuck in the planning stage but another hotel (actually motel) has now applied for Site Plan approval to add a 50 room expansion to their existing 16 rooms.  The budget motel at 1144 Division Street was originally called Motel 401 but after a scandal involving the owner a few years ago, there was a change of owner and a name change to Studio One.   The current Motel is a single story building facing south and facing a park-like strip of land.  The expansion will occupy that green-space and will be three storeys.  The fact that there is this application to expand has to tell us that the owner… Read complete articleMotel Plans Expansion

A growing business wants to come to Cobourg – Brock Street Brewery wants to buy four acres in Lucas Point Industrial Park to build a canning plant.  It will can ready to drink vodka soda’s and gin cocktails and possibly also its current beer product.  Based in Whitby, they were founded in April 2015 and have been growing fast. Subject to approval of their building plans by Cobourg’s Planning Department, they want to initially build a 12,000 sq. ft. packaging facility that would be staffed by 25 to 35 employees.  They expect a year later to expand in phases 2 and 3 by 18,000 sq. ft. then add two more buildings of 25,000 sq. ft. and 10,000 sq. ft. which… Read complete articleCouncil Asked to Approve Land Sale

In 2017, when there was a lot of talk about vitalizing the downtown, it was proposed to spend $1.5M on a multi purpose square behind Victoria Hall.  Around the same time, a developer wanted to build “Live and Work” Condos on the “Quigley” lot across the road at 202 Second Street.  However, the square depended on Provincial or Federal money which was not forthcoming so it was put on hold. Then the Farmers’ Market moved across Albert Street to Rotary Park and the Condos were shelved (more details on these below). The owner tried to sell the lot for more than $2M and meanwhile the empty lot was leased to the Town on a month to month basis for $2500… Read complete articleSecond Street Development on hold

Until today, I had not heard of the  “Victoria Hall Heritage Maintenance Trust Fund”.  That’s not the Architectural Conservancy group nor the Victoria Hall Volunteers.  It’s a trust fund dedicated to preserving Victoria Hall and today they donated $10,000 to the Town to “aid in the restoration and refurbishment of the parapet and front pillars at the King St. entrance”. If you have ventured Downtown recently, you might have seen work being done at the front entrance of Victoria Hall.  In 2017 they paid $5000 towards the work done to spell out what needed to be done – see Links below for Restoration requirements drawings. In June this year, Council approved a tender for the work from Colonial Building Restoration… Read complete articleHeritage Group Contributes to Vic Hall Maintenance

On four weekends in the summer, the DBIA proposes a trial closure of King Street so that it becomes pedestrian friendly. The idea is that Restaurants, Bars and Coffee shops can have Patios or extend their existing ones.  Although it might inhibit curb-side pickup to non-food places, these stores have agreed to a trial – for one time anyway.  The initiative was proposed by the DBIA to Council at their Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday June 22.  Although Council agreed, it will have to be ratified at their Regular Council meeting on June 29.  King Street will be closed from Spring to McGill but Division will remain open.  Closures will start on Fridays at 9:00 am and continue… Read complete articleDBIA proposes trial closure of King Street