BLACK RIVER-MATHESON — Big changes are on the way for Matheson’s downtown and the Highway 11 corridor.
A new commercial project is set to break ground soon, the township office is moving to a new location, and a new hotel is in the works.
Mayor Dave Dyment confirmed toTimminsToday that a new commercial business is planned for 300 Hwy. 11 S., directly across from the Matheson Chrysler dealership.
“It’s in for a building permit right now,” Dyment said.
Construction will start as soon as the permit is ready.
“We’re hoping in August some time. The groundwork’s already begun. They’ve already moved soil around and brought in gravel, and there’s the machines there right now,” Dyment said.
This fall, the township will also be leaving its office at 367 Fourth Ave. The building was sold earlier this year for $499,000 to Parvati Holding Inc., which intends to redevelop the property as a hotel, said Hong Ji Lei, the town’s clerk and deputy town manager. The new owners will take possession in early September.
“We’re moving out mid-September into our new office, which will be downtown,” Dyment said.
The township will be leasing the new office space at 421 Fifth Ave. for $4,500 per month. Renovations are underway to prepare for the move.
Dyment said the location change was prompted by the value of the current site.
“The current office that we have is prime commercial land, right on the corner of two major highways, Highway 11 and Highway 101, so to the council coming in, that was an easy decision, that we don’t want to be there,” he said.
“That’s where stores need to be. Stores attract people.”
The mayor said both of the developments are significant for the community.
“For many reasons. One, we need to increase our tax base to get away from just relying so much or so heavily on residential but we need development to show other developers that we’re open for business,” Dyment said.
“We need it so that someone else comes that they want to build, whatever they want to build, whatever they want to do in this town, that they see that there’s already stuff going on, that they realize that, yeah, this is the place to be. I think, to attract doctors and nurses and other professionals, we need to have a few more amenities. And by seeing this, they’re going to say that, OK, obviously, they’re serious about bringing or attracting people.”
Dyment also noted the local employment benefits.
“It’s going to be able to give full-time employment and summer employment to children and kids as well,” he said.
“In turn, that’s going to cause a demand for housing. If we show that we have businesses and restaurants coming, then we need housing, and they’re going to help us with housing. The more housing we get, the more businesses we get, the more employment we get for students, and it’s just a win-win for everybody.”
Council’s first year in office
The first anniversary of the new council being sworn in is at the end of August.
Dyment is proud of what’s been accomplished so far.
“First and foremost, the residents in town are giving us that leeway to, you know, we’ll make a few mistakes here and there, but what we’re doing is in the best interest of the community,” he said.
“We’re not doing it in the best interest of, you know, two individuals, or anyone that’s not here. We’re doing this for our kids, your kids, grandkids, your parents,” he said.
SEE: 'We will not hesitate to step in again': New Matheson council sworn in
By moving the township office downtown, it will give “residents the ability to walk in and see what the township’s staff does on a daily basis.”
“We were able to secure a budget that was done on time this year for the first time in many years. We were able to put a lot of money into recreation. Hopefully, we’ll have our ball field in Val Gagné open next year. We will have another playground in Val Gagné. We’re going to have three outdoor rinks running this year. So, we’re trying. We’re definitely trying,” Dyment said.
“A year from now, that corridor won't be recognizable. We’re really excited for that. Our staff and our council have worked really hard towards that.”
