Real Estate Division - History of the Properties

Discover the perfect workspace for your business needs at the Research Park Centre. This 60,000 sf Class A building situated on 3.6 acres in the heart of the University of Guelph’s Research Park is strategically located close to the University of Guelph campus and is occupied by a wide variety of business and research.  Our modern professional offices and laboratories offer an inspiring environment with flexible layouts to meet your needs, with convenient access to public transportation, highways, dining, and shopping options nearby.

Additionally, we offer a large co-working space with flexible office sizes to meet your needs. Enjoy all the amenities we have to offer including access to a boardroom, lounge, and meeting areas. Your team will thrive in a professional atmosphere that encourages productivity, fosters collaboration, and stimulates creativity. Visit co-working@150 to learn more – schedule a tour and experience the potential of our available office spaces!

Situated on 14 acres, Research Park North is the Real Estate Divisions most recent offering of property available for lease.

Currently occupied by three independent buildings, Research Park North is currently home to NSF Canada Ltd., the Wellington Dufferin Guelph Health Unit and a multi-disciplinary Medical Centre. 

The final four fully serviced lots are now available for long term lease. 

In 1982 the 30-acre University of Guelph Research Park was conceived as an academic initiative to enhance research at the University of Guelph and foster links with other institutions. The first building, the Agriculture Canada Animal Health Laboratory, built in 1986 was soon followed by the Research Park Centre and additional parcels of land were made available to companies and organizations to construct their independent and multi-tenanted buildings, own research and office facilities. Today the Research Park is fully occupied, boasting 12 independent buildings -- including a hotel and conference centre as well as an athletic facility, and employs over 1,200 people. 

The Village by the Arboretum is an adult life-style community situated on 110 acres of land leased from the University of Guelph. Over 850 residents currently live in the Village by the Arboretum. Four condominium units with 143 luxury apartments; 100 independent living units; 100 assisted living units and an on-site medical facility.

The Medical Centre, an impressive two storey 13,000 square foot facility, is currently occupied by family physicians, a pharmacy, medical laboratory, and physio and massage therapy facilities. The doctors who practice from the Village by the Arboretum Medical Centre serve both the citizens of Guelph, as well as residents of the Village by the Arboretum active living community.

For further details on this exciting project, floor plans, and artists' renditions of the facilities, please visit Reid's Heritage Properties' Village by the Arboretum.

For information about purchasing a home in this adult lifestyle community, please contact the sales office at 519-767-5001 or toll-free 1-800-298-2331.

History of the Puslinch Project

This 464-acre site was originally to be purchased by the University of Guelph, University of Toronto, McMaster University, and the University of Western Ontario as an equine research site. The other universities ultimately decided not to participate in the project, so Guelph purchased the property on its own in 1969 as a veterinary research station.

In the late 1980s, the University determined that the land would no longer be used for teaching and research. The land also turned out to be a significant aggregate resource, and the University was looking for additional sources of revenue to supplement its operating budget funds. The property had been designated a "potential extraction" on the Puslinch Township's Official Plan. 

In 1987, St. Lawrence Cement was engaged to extract.

In 1991, the University obtained a license to allow for aggregate mining on the land following a two-year Ontario Municipal Board hearing. The University continues to hold the license.

The Puslinch Project Today

Holcim Canada (originally St. Lawrence Cement) and Dufferin Aggregates, their subsidiary, operates the project. The University chose St. Lawrence because it had a solid reputation for environmental management and protection. 

Holcim Canada now supplies the local and greater Toronto markets with a high-quality aggregate. The University's portion of proceeds from this operation are directed to the University's Heritage Trust Endowment Fund, which is used to fund strategic, one-time investments that otherwise would have to be funded from the University's operating budget. This includes student scholarships; academic endeavors that support students, such as classroom renovations and acquisition of technology and library materials; and capital projects, including renovations to academic buildings.

The Stone Road Retail property, located on the northeast corner of Edinburgh & Stone Road in Guelph, is comprised of the following:

• 9.9 acres - Edinburg Marketplace - constructed in 1996
• 18.25 acres zoned service/commercial
• 9.9 acres high density residential
• 13.06 acres institutional/research park. 

The 9-acre property, leased to Richmond Properties Ltd is comprised of private sector residential townhouses designated primarily for students.

For residential leasing information pertaining to the Edinburgh Village development, please visit www.richmondprop.com.