Vacant Building and Land Registry by-law in Gravenhurst's downtown core

The by-law aims to revitalize the downtown core

Gravenhurst Council agreed to developing a Vacant Building and Land Registry by-law to support the downtown core, in the October 21, 2025, meeting.

The idea for the by-law resulted from business owners and community members expressing concerns about the downtown area and seeking support from the town to improve and promote it.

Staff reported that properties purchased during Covid have remained vacant or undeveloped, which impacts attraction to downtown and existing businesses.

Staff presented options for Council and recommended a new by-law “that includes a proactive inspection and review schedule, penalties for specific non-compliance and a more standardized approach for the look and feel of vacant properties in key commercial areas of Gravenhurst.”

The by-law will also include timelines for non-compliance matters. Staff explained that penalties for the timelines can apply to 30, 60 and 90-day notice periods.

The changes will also include year-round in-take for the Community Improvement Project, and the Official Plan will focus more on policies to support a larger business mix in commercial areas, and a zoning by-law geared to retail and commercial type uses in the Business District and Wharf areas.

Council members agreed with the more assertive approach to dealing with owners of vacant buildings and lands that are also having a negative impact on the appearance of the downtown area because of paper-covered windows and deterioration and lack of maintenance, impacting attraction to the areas.

Councillor, Randy Jorgensen, said the retail environment has also changed since Covid with more people shopping online. Therefore, they “can research what people are looking for in the retail environment,” what’s going to make people want to go out to shop, and ways to make it work.

Staff agreed that “the retail environment is harsh,” however, it provides the benefit of “look, touch, and feel.”

They suggested ways to strengthen tourism as a driver for economic development and ways they can support businesses with opportunities using the Municipal Accommodation Tax program.

Council members agreed that the new by-law will help put pressure on property owners of vacant properties, and as Councillor, Christine Hunter, said, “get harsher on properties to fill in some of those gaps.”

Mayor, Heidi Lorenz, said the town used to offer incentives like tax breaks on vacant buildings but “no more.” She said, “You can lead a horse to water… The reward for doing the right thing is not working.”

She encouraged property owners, “Be with us – work with us. Don’t let your legacy be an empty building. We have a community that wants to see Gravenhurst thrive.”