Clarington Municipality yesterday said it has not approved the development plans put forward by the Biglieri Group for the Goodyear lands located just south of downtown Bowmanville.
The Biglieri Group has submitted applications on behalf of Lifelong Group of Companies Inc. of a draft plan of subdivision at 45 Raynes Avenue. The proposal seeks to redevelop the Goodyear lands with multiple high-density, mixed-use blocks.
A public meeting was held in May, as part of the planning process, to gather community feedback. The application remains under review, and staff continue to assess technical studies, environmental considerations, public input and alignment with the secondary plan, said a Clarington statement issued yesterday.
“Currently, no decisions have been made on the proposal. Once staff have completed their review of the applications, a recommendation will be brought to council for consideration,” it said.
As new information becomes available, updates will be shared with the public, Clarington said.
Bowmanville East Urban Centre Secondary Plan Area
The Goodyear lands are located within the Bowmanville East Urban Centre Secondary Plan Area.
The plan area includes the historic downtown, Bowmanville Hospital, Bowmanville Mall, and former Goodyear lands.
The transformation in mind is of a potential medical campus to support the Bowmanville Hospital and mixed-use development opportunities along King Street East, in the east business district. The former Goodyear lands is planned to feature mixed-use development and is envisioned to include park space and a new connection to Bowmanville Creek.
Timeline of Goodyear Lands
The lands contain the former Goodyear manufacturing plant, which operated for nearly a century before closing in 2016.
Today, the 15.5-hectare brownfield site is privately owned, with plans for its future use under consideration.
In October 2025, Clarington Emergency and Fire Services responded to a large fire in one of the vacant buildings on the Goodyear lands property. At that time, the MECP attended the scene to evaluate environmental conditions, conduct testing in the local waterway, and work with the property owner on any required follow-up actions.
In June 2026, there was information circulating on social media about another fire. The information was found to be not accurate.
The Municipality of Clarington has been actively working for several years to address safety, security and compliance concerns at the former Goodyear lands, using available municipal enforcement to protect public safety and support the responsible demolition and remediation of the site.
This has included:
- 2020 to 2024: Clarington Emergency and Fire Services conducted ongoing inspections and issued multiple inspection orders related to site security. Charges were laid in 2023 for non-compliance with a Fire Code Inspection Order. The matter proceeded to trial in 2024, and the charges were dismissed after the court determined the owner had taken reasonable steps to secure the building.
- November 2024: After the municipality became aware of unauthorized demolition activity, an Order to Comply was issued under the Ontario Building Code, and demolition activity ceased. Notices were also issued requiring the owner to secure the site due to safety and fire hazard concerns.
- February 2025: A demolition permit was issued for the main industrial building after staff worked with the landowner to confirm plans related to cultural heritage, safety, environmental impacts and the storage of demolition materials.
- October 2025: Following the fire at the site, Clarington issued an Order to Remedy an Unsafe Building on the structure that had already been approved for demolition. The property owner has appealed the Order to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the matter remains before the courts.
- Ongoing: Staff continue to actively monitor the site for compliance through weekly inspections. Status inspections have also been implemented on Mondays and Fridays to identify security breaches before and after weekends so they can be addressed promptly.
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Council and staff have both dropped the ball on this matter, they have every right to move ahead with hiring a contractor to demolish the buildings on the Goodyear site, even though it has been appealed. This is a safety issue and the legislation allows for demolition to occur in these circumstances and the bill to be applied to the current owner. The surrounding community is suffering from the lack of Leadership on this file. Anyone who lives in the area of Downtown or near the Goodyear site should have reservations about voting for any of the current office holders that are seeking re-election. We need new faces on council this fall to fix up this mess that has happened under the current council.