Woodbine One Groundbreaking

Loblaw Companies Limited and Choice Properties REIT officially broke ground on the 1.2 million sq. ft advanced logistics and distribution centre located on Woodbine Ave. on the Rice Group development site. Representatives from Loblaw, Choice Properties, Rice Group, The Regional Municipality of York, Town Council and staff, gathered in East Gwillimbury at the project site to officially mark the beginning of construction.

The distribution centre is East Gwillimbury’s largest employment development project in the town’s history. Once complete, the community will see 1,000 new jobs, generate $500,000 in municipal taxes annually, and collect $7 million in development charges, which will be used to fund the construction of parks, trails, roads, and facilities in East Gwillimbury.

“We are excited to welcome Loblaw to our community and look forward to a long and productive relationship with a company known for being an exemplary corporate citizen and strong community partner,” said Mayor Virginia Hackson. “Together with our partners, we are advancing the development of our employment lands, bringing new jobs to EG, and encouraging other businesses to invest in our Town. We are committed to a service excellence approach to support employment growth in EG.”

Over the last several months, the Town, property owners Rice Group and partners, The Regional Municipality of York and Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority have worked collaboratively to prepare the site for construction.

This project has truly been a collaborative effort involving the public and private sectors,” said Michael Rice, CEO & President of Rice Group. “We’re excited about this state-of-the-art facility in East Gwillimbury and York Region.

The facility is expected to be completed by 2025. Today’s ground-breaking marked phase one of developing the 150 acres of industrial land. The next phase will bring an additional 600,000 sq. ft of space.

“We welcome the new Loblaw Companies Limited and Choice Properties REIT facility to the Town of East Gwillimbury, York Region’s fastest growing municipality,” said York Region Chairman and CEO, Wayne Emmerson. “The advanced logistics and distribution centre will contribute to the immense growth of the town by strengthening the Region’s economic prosperity and providing over 1,000 jobs in the community. The development of this centre will continue to position York Region as a destination where residents can work close to home.”