Who will purchase the Seaton lands in Pickering?

Remember that giant piece of land in Pickering that everyone thought was going to be the location of a small town and an airport? Well, the province has listed it for sale on the open market, so who knows what’s in store for what is referred to as the Seaton lands.

Since the early ‘70s, this piece of land along Highway 407 near a federal-owned tract has been destined for development. When talk of an airport arose, Pickering residents were quick to counter the plan. Ever since the idea of an airport was more or less thrown out the window, the plan has been to transform this area into a “sustainable community” that would support a population of approximately 70,000.

“The sale of the Seaton lands is an excellent example of our government making smart use of underdeveloped resources to create jobs and catalyze economic growth across the province,” says Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure Minister Brad Duguid. “By selling this provincial asset, our government is helping build Ontario up, emphasizing sustainable communities and supporting families across the GTA and beyond.”

There are 1,000 acres for sale, and the proceeds will go towards the design and development of new infrastructure. 800 acres are designated “employment lands,” while another 269 acres are “residential and mixed-use lands.” The sale and development of the lands is expected to create around 35,000 new jobs.

“This is a significant milestone for residents of Pickering and the Durham region, who will see the creation of good paying jobs and new infrastructure because of the sale of the Seaton lands,” says MPP, Ajax-Pickering, Joe Dickson. “I am pleased that our government is working to grow this vibrant community, and that the residents of Pickering will benefit from the new urban development for years to come.”

CBRE is in charge of managing the sale and they expect a land deal to be completed by the end of the year or early next year. The big question is, which builders and developers are going to jump on this amazing opportunity.

This is definitely a situation where we’ll see numerous builders team up to bring a multi-phase community to life, most likely low-rise, but who knows, perhaps a mid-rise building could work in the plans.

We’ve seen this strategy work in the recent past and we’re also seeing it up in Innisfil right now. In Aurora, Arista Homes, Fieldgate Homes, OPUS Homes, and Paradise Developments teamed up for Aurora Trails. There were two phases released and we saw some of the largest turnouts we’ve ever seen at those openings.

Huge line-up outside Aurora Trails last June

There are a few new communities in the works in Innisfil right now, and one of the largest is Belle Aire Shores by Fernbrook Homes, Pristine Homes, and Zancor Homes. Located at 20th Sideroad and 6th Line, minutes from the shore of Lake Simcoe, the land is simply rolling hills at the moment. Innisfil is on the verge of booming, and Belle Aire Shores (which is opening this spring) is the beginning of something big!

If the right team of developers and builders come together for the Seaton lands, we could see a similar boom in Pickering. According to the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) and RealNet Canada, new low-rise inventory in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) hit a record low in 2015, so a sustainable, master-planned community in the east side of the GTA would surely be welcomed by many.  

Feature image via Google Maps