Construction is underway on a multi-million-dollar commercial development in Essex.
Essex Flex Space will feature 40,000 square feet of commercial space at 320 South Talbot Road North, just along Highway 3.
A total of four buildings will be constructed with the units designed to offer customizable, flexible space that will allow potential tenants to seek the space they need as opposed to just renting a set space.
Troup Group Inc. and Wincon Construction are partnering on the development but an exact dollar figure for the investment is not being released.
Wincon Construction partner Paul Schincariol says each building will have around 10,000 square feet of space, and the unit sizes are customizable, which opens the door to a lot of people.
"That's why the name is Essex Flex Space because you could have a gym in there, you could have a restaurant in there, you could have a doctor's office in there, you could have an accounting firm in there," he says. "We're hoping to build a nice diverse community. "
Schincariol says he thinks the location for something like this in Essex is fantastic.
"Because you've got Highway 3. You're 20 minutes from Windsor, you're 20 minutes from Tecumseh, you're half an hour from Leamington, and you're 20 minutes from Kingsville. It's so accessible with the highway and makes a lot of sense, I think anyway," he says.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy says the flex space development is amazing for the town because it creates more commercial space.
"We don't have a lot of offerings for people to come in and start up businesses. What's available in the downtown core really isn't suitable," she says. "Having brand new space like this is going to attract people that want to start a business and invest in Essex and bring some innovative ideas to the area."
The goal is to open the first two buildings by late spring/early summer 2026, and then construction of the other two buildings will follow.