Goodyear Lands Updates

If you see any safety or security concerns on this site, please report them through Service Clarington so they can be logged and actioned. If there is an emergency or an immediate threat to public safety, please call 911.  

The Goodyear lands are located just south of downtown Bowmanville. They 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 proposed plans for its future use under consideration. 

The Goodyear lands are included in the Bowmanville East Urban Centre Secondary Plan – a Council-approved, community-informed policy framework that guides long-term development. Clarington’s planning vision for the site includes a vibrant mixed-use community with new housing and employment opportunities, as well as improved connections to the surrounding natural heritage system and downtown Bowmanville. 

For several years, the Municipality of Clarington has actively worked with the property owner to address safety, security and compliance concerns at the site. Municipal enforcement has been used to protect public safety and support the site’s responsible demolition and remediation. 

The Municipality continues to provide updates to residents on activities at the Goodyear lands. View the letter mailed to nearby residents in August 2026.

Please see the updates below or subscribe to our Community News updates to get the latest information in your email inbox. 

"The safety of our community is our top priority. While this property is privately owned, the Municipality will continue to use every available legal and regulatory tool to address serious safety concerns and hold the owner accountable for complying with municipal orders. Our staff have exhausted numerous enforcement measures and, while following due process, are continuing to pursue appropriate legal and regulatory remedies to ensure the site is secured.”

Mayor Adrian Foster

Latest update

August 11, 2026: Clarington taking additional action to address urgent safety concerns at former Goodyear lands  

The Municipality of Clarington is taking additional actions to address safety concerns at the former Goodyear lands in Bowmanville, following the property owner’s continued non-compliance with municipal orders. 

As noted in previous public updates, Municipal staff have been working with the property owner for some time to advance the safe demolition of the main building and secure the site. The building had been declared unsafe and ordered to be demolished; however, the owner has appealed to the Court challenging the order. Clarington Emergency and Fire Services also previously prosecuted the owner for non-compliance with orders to secure access to the building; however, those charges were dismissed by the Provincial Offences Court. 

In connection with the Court matter, the Municipality’s outside legal counsel retained a structural engineer to review the safety of the site. On August 4, the engineer attended the site with Municipal enforcement Staff; and the assessment confirmed significant safety concerns, including deteriorating building conditions, unsecured areas of the property, hidden site hazards, and evidence of unauthorized access and unlawful work being conducted on site. 

Based on the most recent assessment, the property owner was ordered to post 24-hour security on site with a deadline for compliance of August 9. As this order was not obeyed, the Municipality of Clarington has implemented 24/7 security patrols around the perimeter of the property and will seek recovery of the related costs from the owner through applicable legislative authorities. This 24-hour security is active as of August 11, 2026, and security personnel are monitoring and reporting incidents of trespassing to the Durham Regional Police Services. 

Municipal staff also continue to report observed work activity on the site to the Ministry of Labour and remain in regular contact with provincial authorities. While the Municipality can issue Stop Work Orders, it cannot directly prevent work from occurring. Compliance and enforcement must be addressed through the courts, and the Municipality continues to actively pursue available legal and enforcement measures. 

Further, the Municipality is proceeding with an urgent Court injunction to authorize the Municipality to do all things necessary to make the property safe (including demolition) and seeking to recover the cost from the owner. 

The Municipality of Clarington will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. 

Past updates

On August 4, Municipal staff attended the former Goodyear lands with an engineering firm retained to assess the structural condition of the buildings as part of ongoing enforcement efforts.  

The site continues to present public safety concerns due to unsafe building conditions and unauthorized access risks. Following the site visit, additional orders were issued to address unsafe building conditions, fire safety, property standards and site security, including requirements for 24-hour security on site. Previous legal and enforcement processes remain active.

In June 2026, there was no fire at the Goodyear site. Information circulating on social media was not accurate. 

The Biglieri Group submitted applications on behalf of Lifelong Group of Companies Inc. (the property owner) for a Zoning By-law Amendment and 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 2026, 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. 

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. More information is available at www.clarington.net/45RaynesAve. 

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 Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (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. 

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 appealed the Order to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the matter remains before the courts. 

A note on environmental considerations: Under provincial legislation, when a brownfield property is redeveloped for a new use, property owners and redevelopers must meet specific requirements to assess environmental site conditions and demonstrate that the property meets applicable standards. This process is governed by regulations under the Environmental Protection Act and must comply with requirements and standards established by the MECP. The Municipality also regulates the importation of fill onto the site to ensure that the source and quality of material is safe. 

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.

In January 2025, Council approved the Bowmanville East Urban Centre Secondary Plan area, a community-informed policy framework that guides long-term development. Clarington’s planning vision for the site includes a vibrant mixed-use community with new housing and employment opportunities, as well as improved connections to the surrounding natural heritage system and downtown Bowmanville. 

The Municipality of Clarington was made aware of demolition activities at the former Goodyear lands in Bowmanville, causing concerns about hazardous substances that may be present on the site from years of industrial activity. There is currently no approved development plan for these lands, nor an approved demolition permit for the main building. 

As soon as the Municipality was made aware of the demolition activities, staff issued an Order to Comply under the Ontario Building Code, and demolition activity has since ceased. Clarington Fire and Emergency Services has also issued several Notices to require the owner to secure the site due to safety and fire hazard concerns. 

Clarington staff are actively discussing the situation with the property owner, as well as the Provincial government and the Durham Region Health Department, to evaluate safety and environmental concerns. Clarington also intends to hire an independent expert to monitor the site and provide reassurance that the property owner is following safe and legal methods of demolition. 

“Clarington Council is committed to responsible growth—supporting economic development while protecting the environment,” said Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster. “We expect our partners in the development community to work in collaboration with us to ensure redevelopment is environmentally responsible. I have requested that staff use every tool available to us to ensure all required measures are in place for demolition, in accordance with provincial regulations, to protect the local environment and neighbours in the area.”

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.

Questions and answers

No. Clarington's updated Community Improvement Plan (CIP) states that the landowner or developer is responsible for paying the full cost of remediating and redeveloping a brownfield site.  

Brownfields are properties that may be contaminated and are often vacant, underused, or previously developed industrial or commercial lands. One of the goals of the CIP is to encourage private investment in the safe cleanup and redevelopment of these sites so they can be returned to productive use and provide long-term community benefits.  

To support this work, the CIP includes two incentives under its Brownfields Stream: 

  • Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) Grant: This grant may help offset a portion of the cost of environmental studies needed to understand site conditions and develop a remediation plan. Public funding cannot exceed 50 per cent of eligible study costs, up to a maximum of $35,000 per property/project. 
  • Tax Increment Equivalent Grant (TIEG): This incentive may be available after a brownfield site has been remediated and redeveloped. To qualify, the property owner or developer must first pay the full cost of remediation, redevelopment, and any resulting increase in property taxes. A portion of the new municipal tax revenue generated by the completed redevelopment may then be returned over time through a grant, subject to program requirements and a legal agreement. Once the grant period ends, the Municipality retains 100 per cent of the increased municipal property tax revenue. 

To qualify for these incentives, applicants must be in good standing with the Municipality, and the proposed development must comply with all applicable planning, zoning, design, accessibility and building requirements. 

Supporting brownfield redevelopment can help clean up contaminated sites, encourage reinvestment in underused properties, create opportunities for future redevelopment, and strengthen the municipal tax base over the long term. These community benefits are why brownfield redevelopment is included as a priority area in Clarington's updated Community Improvement Plan, which takes effect January 1, 2027. 

Learn more at www.clarington.net/CIPUpdate.  

The Municipality implemented 24/7 security patrols around the perimeter of the property on August 11, 2026, to help address safety and security concerns, monitor the site, and report incidents of trespassing to Durham Regional Police. The Municipality is also seeking to impose the cost of ongoing security measures on the property owner through an application to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The Municipality has issued multiple Stop Work Orders and the presence of security is helping to deter unauthorized access. Municipal staff continue to report illegal work activity to the Ministry of Labour and remain in regular contact with provincial authorities to provide all required support and assistance.

The Municipality continues to pursue all available legal and enforcement measures to address ongoing concerns and to prevent unsafe access to the property.

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Address: 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6

Phone: 905-623-3379
TTY: 1-844-790-1599

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