Charis Developments Owns Prime Commercial Properties
in Collingwood, Alliston and Midland

Collingwood Council has voted in favour to accept the RFP for 100 Second Street/111 Maple Street, as submitted by Charis Developments Ltd. for 'Business/Office Use' with a purchase price of $737,000.00. Council will authorize staff to prepare the necessary by-law to execute an Agreement of Purchase and Sale for the disposition of land. Clerk Sara Almas said that the proposal was the only submission that required no zoning or amendment to the town's official plan.

The property was originally composed of three parcels which have since been consolidated as one by way of a deeming by-law, registered with the land registry office on July 8, 2010. In December 2007, Council declared the property as surplus to the needs of the municipality, upon relocation of the current staff to the new facility in 2008/2009, at which time the property be offered for sale pursuant to the Staff Report C2011-03.

Councilor Sandy Cunningham experssed concern with the process, saying that he thought the matter would be better handled in camera. " we've taken away council's ability to negotiate a price and other things that normally would happen behind closed doors for the sake of not only council but for the potential purchaser. I don't think that we have the ability of doing it this way to maximize the prize and other things by not doing it in camera."

Charis Developments Ltd. is owned by local developer Stephen Assaff. The company was formed in 1983 and currently has approximately 170,000 sq ft of income producing commercial, office and retail space that is predominantly leased to AAA major National tenants.

Charis Developments presently owns The Court House, The Arlington, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sheffer Court, Scotia Bank, Royal Bank Plaza and Admiral Collingwood Place in Collingwood. In addition, Charis Developments owns property in Alliston and Midland.