The Town of Newmarket is excited to announce that it is seeking proposals for a new and unique dining establishment at 500 Water Street to enhance the existing cultural and economic vibrancy of the Main Street historic district. The Town is offering a long-term lease for the landmark property, which features a picturesque patio overlooking Fairy Lake and a prime view of award-winning Main Street.
“Over the past two decades, the Town, local businesses and building owners have invested over $30 million in the revitalization of Main Street South, leading to the continued growth of our downtown as a top dining, shopping and entertainment destination in York Region,” says Mayor John Taylor. “We are extremely excited to continue this momentum with the next chapter of 500 Water Street, a very rare opportunity to be a key part of our award-winning downtown in one of the best, if not the best location in town.”
Downtown Newmarket offers an eclectic mix of longstanding businesses including locally-owned shops, restaurants, cafes and more, balanced with many new boutique shops recently opened or soon-to-open in 2023. The continued transformation of the downtown has led to Newmarket’s Main Street being voted the best in the country and has attracted York Region’s first boutique hotel, the Postmark, which is scheduled to open in summer 2023. The reinvention of this special heritage property into a 55-room boutique hotel, featuring a rooftop event space and restaurant will further accelerate the ongoing revitalization and renewal of downtown Newmarket.
As a result of the continued investment in the vibrancy of Main Street, the historic district attracts over a quarter of a million visitors to the core each year. 500 Water Street is located just steps away from Newmarket Riverwalk Commons (Riverwalk) in the heart of the downtown area. Riverwalk features an outdoor stage, water feature/ ice rink and various year-round events. Thousands of residents and visitors from throughout the province come together to experience a wide range of events and festivals, including the weekly TD Newmarket music series, hundreds of community events, one of the best Farmers’ markets in Ontario as well as a full winter wonderland, ice lounge and frozen Fridays during the winter season.
Proposal documents can be viewed, downloaded and submitted at newmarket.bidsandtenders.ca. For assistance with accessing the RFP documents or submitting a proposal, please contact the Town of Newmarket’s procurement department at [email protected] or 905-953-5335.
Background
The building is a keystone property, located in the Heritage Conservation District at the intersection of Water and Main Streets. The town-owned property has operated as a restaurant for the past two decades, offering significant patio space overlooking Fairy Lake and is in a prime location for continued use as a dining establishment.
Why Newmarket?
Just north of Toronto, in central York Region, Newmarket is home to 90,000 extraordinary people. As one of the most densely populated communities in Ontario, Newmarket may be small in area, but BIG things are happening there, like the ongoing transformation of the landmark Mulock Park into Newmarket’s very own urban oasis, which will feature works from the Art Gallery of Ontario at the historic Mulock House. Newmarket’s award-winning Main Street (voted the best in the country) is vibrant, thriving and will soon welcome York Region’s first boutique hotel, the Postmark. Find out more about why Newmarket was recently recognized as one of the Happiest Places to live in Canada at newmarket.ca.
