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Rockland Plaza changes owners
even look back at our first attempt with Embrun.» The future for Rockland Plaza may see more development and more businesses setting up shop in the near future. Pierre Hurteau, vice-president and spokesman for Bridgeport Realty Management, explained during a phone interview that the compa- ny is now doing an inventory assessment of its new acquisition to determine what new potential businesses could set up on the remaining undeveloped portion of the property. “We’re looking at potential tenants that would be a good fit,” Hurteau said. “We’re already in discussion with some people.” Hurteau noted that Bridgeport Realty is the managing partner of a tag-team invest- ment in Rockland Plaza with Toronto-based Guardian Capital Inc. Both firms are very optimistic about the future growth poten- tial for the plaza and their presence in the Rockland area. “We like Rockland,” Hurteau said. “We think it’s a growing bedroom community.”
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
A new name is on the property ownership papers for Rockland Plaza. Brent Harden, founder and developer of the shopping centre at the intersection of County Road 17 and Chamberland Boulevard, has sold his pioneer project in the community to an Ottawa-based realty firm but he is not ruling out the chance that hemay be back with another project in future. «Rockland’s been a great community,» Harden said during a March 2 phone inter- view. «We’ve been involved in a lot of things over the years.» During the seven years that Harden spent on developing his Rockland Plaza project, he has also, through his company Harden Real- ties, been involved as a corporate sponsor with «significant donations» to the Rockland YMCA development and the creation of the Canadian International Hockey Academy. He described those and other corporate sponsorships as part of giving back to the town that has helped support his own com- mercial development. «The community’s been good to us,» Har- den said, adding that he also hopes that some of the annual community attractions will continue at the plaza, like the Tuesday Summer Cruise Nights which featured local and out-of-town classic car buffs showing off their machines. The summer event has served a double purpose of raising money
It’s business as always at Rockland Plaza but with a change in ownership for the shopping centre: Brent Harden, founder and developer of Rockland Plaza, has sold his interest in the site to an Ottawa-based realty management firm.
for local charities. As of the end of February, Harden Real- ties turned over ownership of Rockland Plaza to Bridgeport Realty Management, an Ottawa-based realty management and investment outfit. Harden realized close to $20 million on the deal and said it means a complete break for him and his firm now from Rockland Plaza. «It was time for me tomove on,» he said. «I’m looking at development projects in the Ottawa area now.» Looking back over the seven years he spent shepherding the Rockland Plaza pro- ject to its present state, Harden described himself as satisfied with his accomplish- ment. The plaza began with a 2500-square-
foot empty building that became part of the TSC Stores chain of rural and residential general home and garden supplies and ex- panded to an 80,000-square-foot shopping mall featuring several name brand fran- chises. «We brought a lot of merchants to town,» Harden said. «It proved out to be a good project. I want to thank the people of the area for giving us the chance.» While his focus for now is centeredmore on the greater Ottawa area, Harden said he would welcome an opportunity to put together another commercial development project in the Clarence-Rockland area or anywhere else in either Prescott or Russell counties. «Absolutely,» he said. «We may
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