The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

•Th e IFP• H alton H ills, Thursday, M ay 15, 2014 3 e-mail: hassellsauto@bellnet.ca www.hassellautomotive.com Spring is back, and so is our 8th Annual Super Spring SpecialNOW ON!! - Oil & Filter and complete top to bottom check over (Excludes synthetic Oil) - Installation of summer tires (already on rims) included. - Tim Card - Windshield Washer Fluid EXTRAS Only $4995Call for anAppointment Continued from pg. 1 "We're very passionate about keeping the history of the building," said Jackson at a re- cent presentation to the Heritage Halton Hills (HHH) committee. "We are really not changing much of his- tory, we're just pushing it into a new format," said Jackson. The McGibbon has been through six store- front iterations since 1862 and the 1910 era is the one Silcon has picked as the most repre- sentative of the historical value of the property. If the develop- ment goes for- ward, the build- ing front would be altered to look like the hotel of that period. Jackson said the plan they are considering is for the hotel to remain, the ground floor would be retail and the second and third floors would be converted to residential. A five- storey glass tower would be constructed on top of the McGibbon, about half-way back from the front of the building, and a second 10-storey tower would be built at the rear, on the current parking area behind the McGib- bon building. Underground parking would be built below that tower. The property extends to the Salvation Army Thrift store. "We want to bring a new vitality and pur- pose to that corner," said Jackson. He said from street level the towers are not to be that visible to the eye. The plan calls for a large rooftop garden for the residents on top of the McGibbon in the space in front of the small tower. "I like the concept," said Roscoe Petkovic, HHH committee member. "What you're pro- posing is the best we can hope for." Jackson said the renderings of the project presented at the HHH meeting weren't avail- able for publication in the newspaper because they are not the final design. "When we publish that, we want it to be closer to what it would really look like," said Jackson. He said they hope to have their due dili- gence done and be in a position to decide if the project is a go by the end of May. If they plan to go ahead they hope to make an ap- plication to the Town by the end of June. If everything falls into place they would like to start construc- tion in 2015 with completion two years later. He said the condos would start from about 900 sq. ft. with an average of about 1,200 sq. ft. Jackson said they have met with a group of area residents-- Georgetown Condo Steering Group consisting of John Carter, Barry Shep- herd, Brian Herner and Laurent Thibault-- who are interested in downsizing and moving into condos in town. The group, which is not affiliated with The X-CHANGE, has been providing input into the types of features they would like to see in a condo development. "If there's a modern building downtown that respects the history, then that would be fantastic," said Thibault. "I really love this group," said Jackson, adding members have provided great feed- back about the project. Craig Barrager Sales Representative Buying or Selling. Call today to find out what you need to know! REA L ESTAT E CENTRE INC., BROKERAGE DIRECT 416-704-5211 cbarrager@gmail.com The Place To Shop In Downtown Georgetown 77 Main St. S., Downtown Georgetown 905-873-1470 www.BridalSplendor.com.BridalSplendor Planning a wedding? Visit us for a selection of gowns that are SIMPLY SENSATIONAL! 905-873-1470 We're more than bridal • Casual Fashions • Daywear • Evening Attire Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Lets Party!' "SPRING IS NATURE'S WAY OF SAYING, 'LET'S PARTY!'" ROBIN WILLIAMS Condo development aims to preserve McGibbon heritage Doug Pattison (left) and Don Jackson of Silcon Develop- ments are looking at building a condominium development in downtown Georgetown on the McGibbon Hotel prop- erty. They would like to retain the historic hotel structure as a key component of their plan. Photo by Lisa Tallyn