Buttonville Closing?

[Tango01]

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release ... 37863.html

[Brown Bear]

Anybody checked out the real estate values in that neighborhood lately?

[C-GPFG]

Since I did my intro flight there in 1989, they've been talking about closing.

[PanEuropean]

The decision to withdraw GTAA financing from Buttonville - which appears to be the prime cause of Armadale electing to develop the airport lands to their highest and best use - will go down in history as one of the greatest planning blunders ever.

There is no doubt that the land value of the Buttonville airport property is 'stratospheric'. The only way that the landowner can be convinced to continue to operate it as an airport is if GTAA subsidizes it - in other words, if GTAA effectivly 'rents the land' from Armadale.

What does GTAA think is going to happen if Buttonville closes? Where the heck are all those planes going to go? Island Airport doesn't want them, Brampton can't handle them, and they are certainly not welcome at CYYZ.

This is going to be a total disaster.

Michael

[Pratt X 3]

I wonder if this has a connection to this story.

CYOO Gone! (Toronto-Oshawa) viewtopic.php?f=54&t=57706

[NJ]

Isn't this all part of the plan for when they open up Pickering?

[snowshoe]

Has the construction of the "Pickyournose" a/p even been given the go ahead? I guess that would not have to be an obstacle for the super brains that make that kind of decision. With all the possible objectors out there, would think would be good idea to have the project near complete before closing any of the old airports. Sort of like thinking it would be good to build a new one house--but you tear down the old one before you do any serious planning. Of course maybe that is the plan. Close the older a/p's with stated intention of building a new one, then after the old ones are gone discover you don't have the political gonads or the money for the job. But, there would be all that old airport land to develop into fast food outlets, big box stores, leaky condos or some other species of urban blight.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

I remember flying out of Buttonville when the runways were grass.

[RFlyer]

I remember flying out of Buttonville when the runways were grass.

And when I was a boy in Toronto in the 60's and 70's we used to drive right past the airport on the way to our place on Lake Simcoe. Amongst other things, seeing Buttonville airport and the air traffic around was one of the inspirations that got me into flying. I live in Vancouver now, but on a trip to Ontario in the 90's I got to fly over Buttonville a couple of times, retracing the route our car took to get to the lake. Good memories.

[peice]

Certainly hope not :\

[robbreid]

Maybe someone with bigger pockets should buy it, maybe someone in the automotive business?

http://www.vocalvoice.ca/html/the_facts.html More info . . .

It is clear Mrs. Heather Sifton is the most important supporter of Buttonville Airport, and my guess
sole reason the airport still exists today.

http://airport.torontoairways.com/ap-about-tour.php

[Hedley]

Where the heck are all those planes going to go?

Possibly the USA.

[golden hawk]

http://www.yorkregion.com/article/96191

Airport to become business park

Regional News
September 03, 2009 12:38 PM
Sifton family details plan to close Buttonville, develop valuable piece of real estate near Hwy. 404
BY L.H. TIFFANY HSIEH

Buttonville airport will be turned into a business park, but all will stay within the family who owns and operates it.

With little fanfare, Armadale Properties Ltd. announced in a press release Monday its intention to redevelop Buttonville.

Armadale Properties is a real estate developer headed by Clifford Sifton.

Clifford is the brother of Derek Sifton, president of Toronto Airways, which operates Buttonville airport.

'Family decision'

Their mother, Heather Sifton, and another brother, Michael, were also closely involved in the decision-making.

"This was a family decision," said Paul McVeigh, spokesperson for the Sifton family and general manager of Armadale Properties.

"We've been looking at this piece of land for some time. It's 170 acres and there has always been provision in the official plan that this would be a business park after it was an airport. It's been like that for almost 20 years, that it has a dual designation."

Due to the sheer size of the property, Mr. McVeigh said the Sifton family will be seeking partners for various aspects of the redevelopment down the road.

"Their desire is not to develop it as a traditional business park. They'd like to make it more of a mixed use, something with a little bit more legacy to it, something more interesting than just a standard business park," he said.

"They like to see more of an urban concept, with retail and entertainment. Something of a Main Street thing, more sustainable, with pathways and a lot more livable."

The press release states the redevelopment will offer opportunities for 20,000 jobs mixed with shops, restaurants and housing.

Mr. McVeigh estimates four to seven years before construction begins.

Derek Sifton is the self-professed "voice of the airport" in the family (Clifford is the auto and real estate guy and Michael is the former president and CEO of Sun Media).

On a tour of the airport yesterday, Derek said the issue around Buttonville is complicated.

"I have mixed emotions. I mean, we've been fighting to keep this airport alive and obviously we are tired of fighting with the various levels of government and tired of trying to convince them that we are worthy of their attention and funds - we provide an economic benefit of $96 million a year to the local municipalities," he said.

"We are providing a public service, with private funds, and we can't continue without a governmental funding partner or body."

Such as the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which cancelled a $1.6-million annual funding agreement with Buttonville.

"In the press conference I had with the MPPs of York Region (in August), we announced that we were moving forward on development plans," Derek said.

"The only problems might have been that with the MPPs there calling on the province to step in to help with the airport - there's still an ongoing issue with trying to get government support - some people may have construed that as mixed messages, but there's no doubt that we have to move forward with redevelopment."

While the airport will remain and operate as usual in the meantime, along with tenants like the Seneca School of Aviation&Flight Technology, Derek said the next step is to realize the value of the property.

"We sit on a piece of property that's probably worth $150 million today," he said. "We are better off doing nothing than what we are (doing) today, financially."

As for the new location of the airport, "We are not prepared to disclose that yet," he said. "There are some options. We are in discussion with some people and we are trying to see how all the puzzles fit together."

Asked if those options include the Pickering or Markham airports, he said, with a grin, "It could."

Asked if they'd still need government funding to relocate the airport, he said, "That's not in the cards at this point."

Meanwhile, John McCallum, MP for Markham-Unionville, scheduled a press conference with MPP Michael Chan and Deputy Mayor Jack Heath in Markham this morning to call on the federal government to support Buttonville.

Mr. McCallum, who has been in Sudbury for the Liberal caucus meeting, said he had not been told about the Armadale redevelopment plan.

"Well, I'm a little bit puzzled to tell the truth, because just two or three days ago I spoke to Derek Sifton and he was very pleased that the three representatives of Markham-Unionville - federal, provincial and municipal - were going to back him up and request financial support from the federal government," Mr. McCallum said yesterday.

"He had been trying to get some money from Jim Flaherty (federal finance minister), who in the end said no."

Mr. McCallum said their message was going to be focused on the 300-plus jobs that would be lost if Buttonville went, as well as the importance of the airport to hospitals, York Regional Police and local citizens and businesses who use the airport.

"I guess I'll have to consult with my colleagues about what to say now," Mr. McCallum said.

[N2]

Just close it and be done with it for Pete's sake!

[mcrit]

No worries.......just move everything 4.5 miles east to Markham. The owner is very warm and friendly. He really loves it when people drop in unannounced (esp. film crews).

[C-GPFG]

[C-FCFL]