Two Exciting Master-Plans for the Hamilton Waterfront!
By Lucas on Aug 20, 2014
Following in the fashion of Toronto’s ambitious waterfront redevelopment, Hamilton is prepping 18 hectares of prime waterfront land for two separate master-planned live/work/play communities.
The City of Hamilton is spending approximately $39 million readying the lands for redevelopment, about $13 million of which will go towards new roads, sidewalks, sewers, and other necessary infrastructure.
The “West Harbour” redevelopment is a $500 million, 10-hectare plan, for a chunk of the south side of Hamilton Harbour, just west of the Parks Canada Discovery Centre. It will feature 1,600 residential units in condos no higher than eight storeys, as well as 13,000 square feet of retail, hotel, and commercial space. West Harbour is known as Hamilton’s shipping port, so there are many warehouses, some of which will be transformed into shops and restaurants.
The other site is called the Barton-Tiffany Lands, and it was originally acquired by the City of Hamilton for the Pan Am Games. Now that the stadium that was planned for the site is being built somewhere else, the City is proposing an eight-hectare master-plan featuring condos no higher than eight storeys, and a pedestrian bridge that will connect to the new West Harbour neighbourhood.
Via www.hamilton.ca
This moment in time is exciting for Hamilton for two reasons. The first reason is obvious, every big city on a lake needs a vibrant waterfront, and now it’s finally happening for the Hammer. The second reason is that it is very rare for a City to prep land for mixed-use communities in order for the development industry to take over. Developers will be able to purchase this land knowing exactly what the City of Hamilton has in mind for the sites and all the infrastructure will be in place already...this should be done more often. With this streamlined process, the City of Hamilton hopes to have shovels in the ground by 2018.
According to the Toronto Star, developers are already showing interest in the project, including FRAM Building Group. “Hamilton is one of the strongest real estate markets in the country because it’s still affordable,” said FRAM president Frank Giannone in a telephone interview with the Toronto Star. “We definitely have an interest in it. We think there is a great opportunity to transform the waterfront in the way we have in Port Credit.”
Which developer (or developers) would you like to see involved with these two Hamilton master-plans?
