Councillors here approved a Jobs and Investment Incentive Grant in the amount of $23,562 for R & K Pope Holdings Ltd., (Motion Electrical Contracting).
In June 2017, Centre Wellington approved a Jobs and Investment Incentive Program and allocated $150,000 to the program which allows for a reduction of development charges for industrial development that creates jobs and invests in the community.
Centre Wellington Mayor Kelly Linton noted one of the changes made during the budget process was that applicants for the funds would present a business case to council
Motion Electric intends to construct a 5,100 square foot building at 770 Glengarry Crescent.
The new structure at 770 Glengarry Crescent will provide approximately 3,000 square feet of shop for the business and an additional three units of 710 square feet, 640 square feet and 710 square feet available for lease.
The new building will replace two small units that the business currently occupies at 820 Gartshore Street.
The $1 million investment by Motion Electrical Contracting is expected to generate five to 10 new jobs at Motion Electric itself as well as additional jobs in the additional three leasable units.
Economic development officer Patricia Rutter said this is the first application to the program.
Building owners and developers can apply for a grant to cover the portion of the development charges for outdoor recreation, indoor recreation and administration along with water and wastewater.
During recent budget deliberations, council determined that, moving forward, applicants would be required to receive council approval of Jobs and Investment Incentive Grants in order to assess the effectiveness of the program.
The objectives of the program are :
– reduce development charges for industrial uses and a grant program to increase industrial development, thus enhancing job creation;
– increase industrial development in Centre Wellington to achieve job growth and assessment growth related to non-residential sources;
– reduce “up-front” development costs and encourage investment by the private sector;
– promote intensification of industrial areas, and redevelopment in areas were infrastructure exists;
– improve the competitiveness of Centre Wellington relative to its comparator and neighbouring municipalities;
– encourage intensification of under-utilized properties and decrease demand on greenfield properties; and
– decrease reliance on residential assessment base, by encouraging more industrial expansion, creating a more balanced assessment base.
Rutter said Ryan and Katie Pope have been working with the township for some time to prepare a new home for their business. The pair decided to add additional units to their building as rental space, and to possibly act as incubators for small businesses.
Rutter said owners, Ryan and Katie Pope, are seeking the grant so that the company can continue to operate during the construction and growth phases.
In this case, the applicant, R & K Pope Holdings Ltd. (Motion Electrical Contracting) is asking for a grant of approximately $23,516 in development charges.
Rutter buildings of this scope would provide an additional $17,000 annually in taxes as well as adding positively to the community’s industrial base.
Katie stated she and Ryan opened their business seven years ago.
“It started in our garage and then we bought a unit on Gartshore (as the business continued to grow).”
Then a property became available on Glengarry, she said.
“Having the reduction in development fees will really help to maintain the cashflow for the project.”
Katie added the current intent is to build on only a small parcel of the land even though they had bought a large parcel of land.
This would allow the potential of future severance.
Ryan added the other option is “to continue building as we grow.”
Mayor Linton agreed this is the type of project for which the program was set up.
