After years of sitting unused, one of the units at the Gravenhurst train station could soon be home to Currie’s Music and Antiques.
During the Aug. 29 Planning Council meeting, a five-year lease with the option to extend was given a thumbs up. However, it still needs approval during Gravenhurst’s Sept. 19 council meeting before staff can move forward with the agreement.
If the decision is ratified, Melissa Halford, Gravenhurst’s Director of Development Services, said Currie’s could move in as soon as Oct. 2023.
The building, which was formerly used as a stop for the Northlander train until its service was discontinued in 2012, has been vacant since 2019. According to the Town of Gravenhurst’s website, it has previously been occupied by office space, a cafe, and the Muskoka Rails Museum.
It’s located at 1501 Second St. S., which is only steps away from Gull Lake Rotary Park.
Halford explained the town has been trying to find a business to occupy part of the building since 2019 but ran into issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Halford said in recent years the building has undergone renovations and has 1,388 sq. ft. of space on the main floor, a separate glassed-in room, and an area for food preparation. The basement has additional storage space and houses a natural gas furnace.
“This is a great thing,” said Coun. Randy Jorgensen. “The train station has been empty, as far as I’m concerned, for far too long. This is a good news story.”
Earlier this month, Currie’s posted on social media their long-time home at 230 Muskoka Rd. S. was being sold. “Like many other retailers in our area, commercial property sales are forcing us to reconsider our futures and, at present, our options are few,” they said in the Aug. 15 post.
A follow-up post was made a day later mentioning they toured a new space in Gravenhurst, but it stopped short of mentioning where.
While Currie’s will be occupying one unit of the building, the town’s website says it’s expected that with the province pledging to bring back the Northlander by the mid-2020s, the train station will once again be used as a stop on the route that will take passengers between Toronto and Timmins.
