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BARRIE, ONT. — Construction is now underway on the first phase of a new highrise residential development on Grove Street West in Barrie, Ont. that will include 928 rental apartment suites in total when complete.

Dubbed Sky Towers, phase one of the project will comprise two highrise buildings: Tower A at 25 storeys and Tower B at 27 storeys, which are slated for completion in 2027. This first phase will bring 541 new rental apartment suites to the city, including 32 affordable housing units.

Future phases will see a third tower at 29 storeys built, as well as a nine-storey building, explains a release. These will provide an additional 387 suites.

SkyDev, the developer and part of Skyline Group of Companies, held a groundbreaking ceremony recently to kick-off construction.

“This project represents a significant opportunity to answer the demand for housing in the rapidly growing city of Barrie, and we are pleased to see the result of our strong partnerships come to fruition as we break ground on phase,” said Jason Castellan, Skyline’s co-founder and CEO, in a statement.

“With Barrie’s vacancy rate of just 2.7 per cent in 2023 and a current total rental market of just over 4,000 suites, this investment is a big step forward in attracting more residents and workers to the area, while supporting the city and province in meeting their housing targets.”

The Sky Towers development is located near the Highway 400 and Bayfield Street intersection.

Amenities include an indoor/outdoor central rooftop space overlooking Lake Simcoe; electric vehicle charging stations; a pet spa; kitchen, bar, lounge and games room as well as a gym and yoga facility.

Skyline is developing new rental housing in 10 additional communities, with over 600 apartments completed, 1,100 under construction, and 3,000 more in the pipeline.