Rideau Regional Centre site sold in Smiths Falls
Property to be redeveloped into reitrement community.
What was once the site of the Rideau Regional Centre in Smiths Falls is set to become a retirement community.
The government announced the sale of the property which, until its closure in 2009, housed some 2,500 adults with developmental disabilities. Since then, the government had been seeking a buyer with plans for commercial development.
Joe Gallipeau, a residential housing developer in Smiths Falls, has now officially bought the 141-hectare site after the two-year wait.
Plans are now underway to develop a unique community for active seniors. There are already more than 800,000 square feet of buildings sitting on the site, including food-service facilities, a large pool, a gym and laundry operations.
Local politicians in Smiths Falls as well as the town's economic development staff hope the sale of the huge property will help give the town's economy a boost — Smith Falls has suffered the loss of hundreds of jobs in the past three years, following the closure of the Hershey's chocolate plant, Stanley Tools and the Rideau Regional Centre.