As the end of the calendar year approaches, myFM sat down with Greater Napanee Mayor Terry Richardson to talk about some of the community’s successes over the past year.
Richardson says that Napanee is experiencing “extremely welcome” growth. Not only residential, but commercial and industrial growth as well.
Richardson also points to plans for new long-term care beds to be added as even more reason why Napanee will continue to attract that growth.
On the topic of residential growth specifically, the mayor noted that this week’s council meeting heard from the developer behind the Gibbard District, which Richardson says is “back on track”. That development, alongside the Springside Meadows project and the Richmond Park mobile home community, are expected to add hundreds of new housing units in the coming years.
Looking ahead to 2024, Richardson says there’s a lot to be optimistic about in the community.
Richardson says that industrial projects like the proposed Goodyear plant expansion could help entice even more people to Greater Napanee.
Richardson also reflected on one of Napanee’s biggest news stories of the year, the fire that destroyed the Lennox Agricultural Memorial Community Centre. He says the community is still reeling from its loss.
As for the future of the site, it remains unclear what will happen, but Richarson is hopeful that the community will move forward.
“It really is very disappointing that it had to end the way that it did. It was senseless, and it didn’t need to be. But we’re a great community. We really are. And I can see nothing but good coming of it, even though it doesn’t seem like it right now.”
Written by David Rockne Corrigan