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Planned office building to give Guelph Street a new look By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer The landscape along Guelph St. across from the Georgetown Market Place mall could undergo a drastic change by late 2012 with the construction of a three-storey office building. Johnson McLennan Developments plans to put shovels into the ground in the spring on an estimated $4-million project that will provide a much-needed 20,000 square feet of commercial retail space in Halton Hills. The current Johnson Associates Real Estate brokerage, along with a house on the site, would be demolished to make way for the project, which is currently being marketed to potential tenants. "To me, it is the location in Georgetown," said Finn Poulstrup, owner of Johnson Associates and partner with local resident Bob Hooper in Johnson McLennan. "It's directly across from the mall, between four banks and it's the highest point in town next to the Alcott Arena. We're at the centre of the business community and I think it's an ideal spot." Johnson Associates could take up approximately 6,000 square feet in the new building and available office space ranges from 3,000 square-foot studios to the entire 20,000 square feet, with naming rights also yet to be considered. 9 Independent & Free Press, Thursday, October 13, 2011 Sixty-two parking spaces have been allotted for the site and the building design will include many energy efficient features. Poulstrup added that the project has been in the works for three years. "We're following Ontario Provincial Urban Design guidelines for all commercial property, in which the building is street-forward and parking's at the rear," he said. "That's posed a lot of added costs for us because by doing that we'll have to change around hydro lines and a few other things. It also means you won't see the parking from Guelph Street. The experts feel that it makes for a better streetscape." An artist's rendering (top) of the proposed three-storey office building Johnson McLennan Developments hopes to begin construction on next spring. The $4-milllion project will replace the current Johnson Associates Real Estate office and a home along Guelph Street opposite the Georgetown Market Place (bottom). Save your Back and Save on a Mattress Set Emerald I sle HOME FURNISHINGS 265 GUELPH ST., GEORGETOWN 905-873-2753