Region’s real estate bodies warn of intensified housing crunch

The announcement of the forthcoming VW EV battery plant and its predicted 2,000 jobs will have a significant impact on the region’s housing market, say local realtors. “We’re going to have so many jobs coming into this area that the housing is really going to get into some kind of a crisis again,” London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) president Adam Miller told CTV. This is, of course, amidst a province- and nation-wide crisis, but the economic plans for the region could localize and intensify those demands, with three major employers ― Maple Leaf, Amazon and most recently VW ― all investing in the area between London and St. Thomas. “They’re going to be starting [levels of] development that we probably haven’t seen for 30 or 40 years,” Miller said.

The upshot: The onus will ultimately fall on homebuilders and homebuilding and taxation policy-makers, something that St. Thomas & Elgin Home Builders Association CEO Angela De Vries is welcoming. “It’s definitely going to be busy, but as long as we have the approvals and processes in place, we’ll be able to accommodate and get these things done,” she says. But it will no doubt be a challenge: from a labour perspective the building industry is struggling to keep up as it is. That said, it’s not hard to imagine that the availability of land and eagerness to build may present a golden opportunity for homebuilders and policy makers to bring forward innovative and higher-density proposals for the region.

Read more: CTV London | London Free Press

Workers at two of Sodecia Automotive’s three London facilities vote to join Unifor

London employees of Portuguese auto parts manufacturer Sodecia have voted to join Unifor, the country’s largest private-sector union. The union will represent about 150 employees at two of the city’s three Sodecia plants ― Sodecia London Automotive on Innovation Drive and Sodecia North on Sovereign Road. A third facility on Concept Drive, Sodecia Global Tech and Automation Centre, is not unionized. “We all want to negotiate safer, fairer and better working conditions for everyone,” Darlene Manton, a worker at Sodecia and spokesperson for the union drive, told CTV. “In our industry, we need the resources, expertise and protection unionization provides now more than ever.” The Ontario Labour Relations Board certified the vote on Monday, but no date has yet been set for the start of collective bargaining.

The upshot: Sodecia is a supplier to many of the automotive companies expected to lead the new EV sector in Southern Ontario, producing parts for GM, Tesla and Volkswagen among others. With the increasing momentum of the auto industry in the region, it wouldn’t be surprising to see similar drives at other non-union automotive facilities in the region. Unifor represents 17,000 auto parts workers at about 100 plants in Ontario and Quebec and about 315,000 workers in other sectors. Unifor has not indicated which local will represent Sodecia workers. Sodecia London opened in 1997 as Aetna and became AZ Automotive in 2001. In 2010, it was purchased by Sodecia. In 2016, the company undertook a $45-million expansion in London.

Read more: London Free Press | CTV London

Turn of the tables: City recommends refusing development proposal with too few storeys

City staff have given a provisional thumbs down to a single-storey commercial plaza proposal on Hyde Park Road, telling the developer to add more density. York Developments’ proposal includes 72 townhouses and a shopping plaza at 1407-1427 Hyde Park Road. The townhouses aren’t the issue, but rather that a single-storey plaza, which according to city staff doesn’t conform with requirements in the London Plan, the province’s development goals nor the Hyde Park Community Plan, which all call (in one form or another) for a minimum of two-storey buildings along that stretch of Hyde Park. The proposal will be discussed at next Monday’s planning and environment committee meeting.

The upshot: Cat chases dog…rain falling up…a city urging a developer to build more storeys, not fewer. It’s something of a novelty for urban planning watchers more accustomed to those roles being flip-flopped. Planning committee chair Councillor Steve Lehman said he had “lots of questions” about the report. Rejecting the York Development proposal (the retail portion is called the Shops at Somerston) outright would also axe the 72 townhomes, which nobody wants — so it will be interesting to see how York responds to explicit permission from the city to build up, and whether the city will push zoning amendments that could use the additional storeys for housing units.

Read more: CTV London

From our Content Studio: The Best of Business Services Spring 2023

Today, more than ever before, London’s businesses and consumers rely on trusted providers for the services and products they need. The firms featured in The Best of Business Services Spring 2023 exemplify business done right, and offer an array of services, products and knowledge to keep your business and personal life on the right track.  

View here: London Inc.

New South London Costco set to open next week

Bulk shoppers and fans of discount gas rejoice: Costco’s new upgraded location in South London is opening next week. The location is a relocation, technically — but the redevelopment means a bigger warehouse and 40 new jobs, the company says. Costco took over the role of lead tenant at the Gateway London development (a PenEquity project) after Ikea reconsidered its London expansion. Local city officials and Costco company reps will be on hand on Wednesday to cut the ribbon.

The upshot: South London drivers will be happy to note that this location also includes a gas bar (pictured and already open), something the original south location didn’t have and which consistently sells gas for several cents cheaper per litre than competing gas stations. Costco and the developer are both hopeful that the combination of the gas bar and its location — just off the 401 — will be a major draw to the site. “The building gives [Costco] the opportunity to offer the full level of service which everyone will enjoy, and gas is a big component,” said PenEquity’s Leger Xavier in an interview with CTV last summer.

Read more: Costco

Budweiser Gardens eyes renovations

Just a couple months after celebrating its 20th birthday, management at Budweiser Gardens are starting to think about renovations to the facility as it starts to show its age and as they target bigger events. “Technology and things change in 20 years, so we’re just trying to stay current and make sure it is something the citizens of London could be proud of,” general manager Brian Ohl told Global News. “We are finding that some of the larger events, like the Brier, they need more space than what we currently have.”

The upshot: The comments came up at the Corporate Services Committee this week as part of Budweiser Garden’s annual update, which included losses last year but a more positive post-pandemic outlook for this year. Ohl told the committee that facility owners, Philadelphia-based OVG360, expect to bring forward to the city a multi-year proposal relating to these renovations as early as next month. The organizational structure is such that the city has always had a hand in the funding (and the revenues) of Bud Gardens, and that isn’t expected to change. Both Bud Gardens and the city would like to see bigger events ― the perpetual dream of hosting the IIHF World Junior Championship was brought up ― and the question now is really about how best to structure the eventual funding agreement.

Read more: Global News | CTV London

Dispatch: March 24, 2023

A summary of recent business appointments and announcements, plus event listings for the upcoming week.

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