Future Sportsfield Complex: Annandale Ball Diamonds and Mall Road Site Community Consultation
- Annandale Ball Diamonds (160 Concession St E)
- Mall Road Site
This consultation provides residents, community groups, and stakeholders with an opportunity to review conceptual options, share priorities, and help inform future planning for these important community lands
No decisions have been made. Feedback received through this process will help shape potential options and inform future recommendations to Council.
What is Being Explored
The Town is examining potential future uses for the Annandale Ball Diamonds and Mall Road sites, including options for:
- enhanced recreation facilities
- additional sports field capacity
- potential future housing development
- enhanced greenspace and trails
- community gathering spaces
- active community spaces
Why This Project?
This process builds on the Town’s Recreation Master Plan and Community Strategic Plan, both developed with input from residents, organizations, stakeholders, and Town staff. Together, these plans highlight the need for more recreation lands, active living opportunities, and high-quality community spaces that serve residents of all ages.
They also recognize that the existing Annandale Ball Diamonds have limited room for expansion and that additional sports field capacity will be required over the long term.
How to Participate
Review the Project Details
Learn about the project background, the sites under review, and the factors being considered as part of the consultation
Review Project DetailsView the Conceptual Plans
Explore the concepts being considered for the Annandale Ball Diamonds and Mall Road sites.
View Conceptual PlansAttend a PIC
Join us in person at one of the Public Information Centres (PICs) to hear about the project, review the plans, and speak with the project team.
View PIC DetailsProject Timeline
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Sportsfield Complex: Annandale Ball Diamonds & Mall Road Site
The Town of Tillsonburg is exploring long-term options for recreation, enhanced greenspace, municipal land use, and future growth related to two municipal properties: Annandale Ball Diamonds (160 Concession St E) and the Mall Road Site (also formerly referred to as 67 Mall Road).
On June 22, 2026, Report EDM 26-014 was presented to Council outlining preliminary concepts and opportunities related to these properties. At that meeting, Council directed staff to undertake public consultation before bringing any future recommendations back for consideration.
No decisions have been made. Detailed information on the proposal, including conceptual plans, is available on this project webpage. We encourage you to review the materials and attend one of the upcoming in-person Public Information Centres (PICs) to learn more and ask questions.
This consultation process - which includes an online survey and three PIC sessions - is intended to gather community feedback to help inform future planning discussions and Council decisions.
What's Being Considered
The two sites are being reviewed together to support balanced, Town-wide decision-making that considers recreation needs, greenspace, potential housing opportunities, and long-term sustainability.
These are early concepts intended to inform long-term planning and support ongoing public consultation, and may change through future planning and design.
We welcome your feedback as the Town explores future possibilities for these sites. Any future changes would be subject to further public consultation and Council approval.
Annandale Ball Diamonds
Location: 160 Concession St E
We’re reviewing the long-term future of this site as part of broader recreation and parks planning for Tillsonburg, in alignment with the Town’s Recreation and Parks Master Plan.
Possible directions being considered include:
- Review of future land use possibilities, including conceptual residential redevelopment options such as mid-density housing (e.g., townhouses or low-rise apartment forms), alongside potential greenspace and parkland concepts, as part of a range of scenarios being explored
- Potential relocation of ball diamonds as part of a future, consolidated sportsfield strategy
- Evaluation of opportunities to expand parkland, greenspace, and trail connections and improve neighbourhood connectivity
Key Features:
- A mix of 4-5 storey apartment buildings and 2-3 storey townhouses
- New parks, open spaces, and amenity areas
- Enhanced passive green space and landscaped gathering areas
- Enhanced pedestrian walkways and connections throughout the site
- Seating areas, shade structures, and gazebos
- Playground areas
- Pickleball courts
- Surface parking
- Municipal sidewalk connections
- Opportunities for outdoor recreation and community gathering spaces
Potential Future Sports Complex
Location: Mall Road Site
This site is being explored conceptually as a possible location for a modern, expandable, multi-use recreation complex to help address long-term community recreation needs. The Town of Tillsonburg currently owns this land, having acquired it in 2024 for long-term municipal and recreation planning purposes.
Concepts being considered include:
- Flexible multi-use recreation spaces, including ball diamonds and sports fields
- Supporting infrastructure such as parking, trails, and amenities
- Opportunities for phased development and future expansion
The conceptual plan illustrates a phased approach that could allow the site to evolve based on community needs, funding opportunities, and future Council direction.
Initial phases could focus on core sportsfields and amenity development, with future phases identifying opportunities for additional sportsfields, parking, and possible cemetery expansion.
Key Features
- Opportunity for future cemetery expansion
- Softball diamonds for community and tournament use
- Soccer fields (junior & intermediate)
- Amenity building (with washrooms, concessions, etc)
- Playground and family areas
- Pedestrian walkways connecting fields
- Parking areas
- Landscaped open spaces and buffers throughout the site
Future Phases Areas:
- Additional sportsfields
- Potential cemetery expansion area
- Room for future parking expansion
Why This Matters
This process builds on the Town’s 2021 Recreation Master Plan and Community Strategic Plan, both developed with input from residents, organizations, stakeholders, and Town staff. Together, these plans emphasize planning for future recreation lands, active living, and high-quality community spaces that support residents of all ages.
The Recreation Master Plan identifies future demand for:
- The equivalent of one additional unlit hardball diamond
- Four additional softball diamonds
The plan also notes that existing ball diamonds are heavily used during peak times, with limited flexibility for rainouts, tournament scheduling, and future growth. The Annandale ball diamonds currently operate at capacity during peak periods, limiting the Town’s ability to accommodate scheduling pressures, tournaments, and rescheduled games following weather disruptions. The Plan identifies lit diamonds as a key component of a potential new field complex, extending playable hours into the evening and improving overall capacity and scheduling flexibility, with lit diamonds operating at approximately 160% capacity of unlit diamonds. The Plan also highlights the importance of improving overall system capacity and efficiency, including exploring opportunities to provide sports fields more efficiently through larger, centralized recreation facilities.
The Plan further recommends exploring a modern, consolidated ball diamond complex that could better support community use and regional tournaments, while improving field quality, amenities, parking, and long-term operational efficiency. New lit fields could also increase overall field utilization by extending playable hours and improving scheduling flexibility across the recreation system.
This consultation provides an opportunity for the community to help shape long-term options for recreation, greenspace, municipal land use, and potential housing opportunities - including whether a modern, consolidated sportsfield complex could better meet future needs than the existing Annandale configuration.
By reviewing municipal sites together, the Town can better understand future recreation demand, system capacity, neighbourhood considerations, and long-term financial sustainability.
Key considerations include:
- Growing demand for sports fields and recreation amenities
- Improving field capacity and scheduling flexibility through lighting and modern design
- Enhancing opportunities for tournament hosting and expanded amenities
- Expanding greenspace, trails, and community connections
- Supporting coordinated, long-term land use and infrastructure planning
- Ensuring operational and financial sustainability over time
- Exploring potential housing as one of several possible future land-use options
The Town has budgeted approximately $6.3 million in land acquisition, studies, and development at the Mall Road site. Reviewing municipal assets together may help identify opportunities for more efficient land use, improved infrastructure planning, and long-term community benefit.
Your Input Will Shape the Future
We want to hear from you on:
- What matters most to you about the Annandale site
- Recreation and active living priorities in Tillsonburg
- Ideas for greenspace, trails, and neighbourhood character
- What type of housing should be considered as a possible long-term option for the Annandale Diamonds site (160 Concession St E)
- Alternative ideas or future configurations
- Any concerns or opportunities related to these two projects
The more voices we hear, the better the outcome.
How to Have Your Say
We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts through our online survey, in-person Public Information Centres, or by email/written submission. All feedback will be summarized and presented to Council.
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Attend a Public Information Centre
Join us at one of the three planned in-person Public Information Centres (PICs) to hear a brief presentation about the project, followed by an open-house session where you can review the conceptual plans, speak directly with Town staff and project representatives, ask questions, and share your feedback.
DATE/LOCATIONS
PIC #1
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Location: Marwood Lounge, Tillsonburg Community Centre, 45 Hardy Ave, Tillsonburg, ON N4G 3W9
PIC #2
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Location: Marwood Lounge, Tillsonburg Community Centre, 45 Hardy Ave, Tillsonburg, ON N4G 3W9
PIC #3
Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Location: Lion's Den, Tillsonburg Community Centre, 45 Hardy Ave, Tillsonburg, ON N4G 3W9
Complete the Online Survey
The online survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete. Please submit only one response per person.
The online survey will remain open until September 15, 2026.
Stakeholders
As part of the Public Engagement Process, the Conceptual Plans will be circulated to all Town Committees for their information, but with the following Committees being solicited for their input and advice with respect to these plans:
- Accessibility Advisory Committee
- Affordable and Attainable Housing Advisory Committee
- Economic Development Advisory Committee
- Parks, Beautification and Cemeteries Advisory Committee
- Recreation and Sports Advisory Committee
- Traffic Advisory Committee
- Tillsonburg Youth Advisory Council
Contact the Project Team
If you can't complete the online survey, attend a Public Information Centre, or prefer another option, we'd still like to hear from you! You can also submit your comments by email/writing to:
Staff Contact:
Cephas Panschow, Development Commissioner
Town of Tillsonburg
10 Lisgar Ave
Tillsonburg, ON N4G 5A5
invest@tillsonburg.ca
Media Contact:
Deb Gilvesy, Mayor
Town of Tillsonburg
10 Lisgar Ave
Tillsonburg, ON N4G 5A5
dgilvesy@tillsonburg.ca
No. Council has made no decisions about land use, redevelopment, surplus declarations, or facility changes.
Council directed staff to undertake public consultation and gather community feedback before considering any future recommendations. No development agreements are in place and no final decisions have been made.
- Future recreation needs
- Greenspace and trails
- Housing
- Long-term costs and financial sustainability
Yes. The current concepts are intended to generate discussion and community feedback. A range of alternatives for the Annandale lands remains under consideration, including maintaining recreation uses, enhancing existing facilities, increasing amenities, or exploring other community uses. Feedback received through the consultation process will be presented to Council for consideration.
Both projects are proposed to be revenue neutral through land sale revenues and not paid for by property taxes. Additionally, if the Town does more forward with residential development on the Annandale/Concession St E property, significant property tax revenues could be generated, potentially reducing the cost pressures that the town is facing.
The Annandale Ball Diamonds lands were acquired by the Town around 1977 through the parkland dedication process associated with a subdivision development. Parkland dedication is a requirement of the Planning Act that allows municipalities to acquire land for parks and recreational purposes as new neighbourhoods are developed. As part of this process, staff are continuing to review the historical records related to the property and welcome additional information from those familiar with its history.
Under provincial legislation, municipalities may consider alternative uses or the sale of parkland lands, subject to applicable legislative requirements and Council approval. Any future decision regarding the Annandale lands would only occur following Council consideration and the required public and planning processes.
The Town recognizes the importance of greenspace and that residents value this greenspace.
The exact address is 2 Mall Road (previously referenced as 67 Mall Road).
The Mall Road property is located south of Highway 3, adjacent to the Tillsonburg Cemetery. The property is owned by the Town of Tillsonburg and is located within Norfolk County.
Stay Informed
- Project webpage - Check back regularly for updates
- Town social media - Follow the Town of Tillsonburg’s Facebook page for posts
- Town website / Council agendas - Future reports and decisions will be posted online
- Public notices - Watch for these in local media
- Subscribe to our news page