The Brampton City Council is considering an option to give downtown office space to Wildflours, Perennials and Proof Bakeries, in addition to the existing offices at 441 Queen St. and 441 King St. as part of a wider redevelopment plan for the area.
The proposal would be made to council on Thursday and is not binding.
City staff would have to approve the change to the Downtown Development Plan.
The downtown office buildings are among the most expensive of a number of downtown buildings in the area, and the proposed building is expected to have a total of approximately $3.7 million in annual property taxes.
Wildflowers is located in the former Royal York Bank building on the site of the former TD Bank building that is now occupied by the Queen St.-area office building, which is owned by the Toronto Transit Commission.
The new building will be a smaller building, approximately 60,000 square feet, with about 5,000 space available for employees.
Perennias is located at 619 Yonge St. west of Yonge Street.
Proof Bakaries is located on the west side of Queen St., and the building will have a large parking lot and a retail area.
All three businesses have been operating in the Downtown for nearly 20 years.
Wildflower Bakery has been at the corner of Yampolski and Bloor streets since 1998.
Panniers, which started in 1988, is now located on Bathurst St. The first store opened in 2011.
The Bramalea-based company is based in Bramalead and has a franchise in the Greater Toronto Area.
Pesticides were banned in the city in 2000 and the last of the three commercial farmers on the West End were allowed to reopen their doors in 2009.
City officials say the new building is ideal for the space because it will allow the businesses to operate without having to worry about environmental impact.
“I think it’s really important to have these spaces, and it’s a real opportunity to help these businesses,” said Councillor John Campbell.
“It’s good for the city, it’s good to the business community, it gives them a new lease on life.”
In 2014, the city approved a 10-year, $4.6-million expansion of the West Edmonton Mall to accommodate the increased demand for retail.
The expansion also included a large, new parking lot for the new grocery store.
The city expects the West Side to be fully redeveloped by 2025.