Jamesville Social Housing Redevelopment | ? | 3 to 20 fl | Approved

[King&James]

Just saying they hold a huge key in what can be a super positive and gamechanging focus for the west harbour, with a GO station at its doorstep. Think how different it could all be especially when combined with the Barton Tiffany lands. This is where the feds could really help, sure why not tap Justin and Co for a bunch of bills and quick approvals to locate a new shunting yard. Agree the Stelco lands would have made a nice alternate site, but more likely Milton or some other greenfield to the north or west.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by King&James

Just saying they hold a huge key in what can be a super positive and gamechanging focus for the west harbour, with a GO station at its doorstep. Think how different it could all be especially when combined with the Barton Tiffany lands. This is where the feds could really help, sure why not tap Justin and Co for a bunch of bills and quick approvals to locate a new shunting yard. Agree the Stelco lands would have made a nice alternate site, but more likely Milton or some other greenfield to the north or west.

They do. And they probably know it too.

Milton was supposed to be getting a new CN intermodal hub on its south side, and my understanding is it was basically planned without much consultation with the town. A court recently blocked it though on the basis of health impacts due to diesel exhaust.

I believe that years ago there was a proposal to move the Hamilton yard to Aldershot, but the local residents balked and the idea never went anywhere.

CN (and CP) are up against a lot of opposition for big changes to their networks. Yet many environmentalists argue we should be moving cargo shipments from trucks to rail, without understanding the bigger picture and the economics of goods movement. The freight carriers don't do themselves any favours in the way they communicate and work with stakeholders though.

Personally I think the only local alternatives are to the east, between Winona and Grimsby. But that would take the operation farther from the mainline, and with all the development planned out that way the same issues will surface. The countryside to the west in Flamborough may be do-able too, but the topography is not as flat and it presents different environmental challenges and land-use conflicts.

[TheEmprah]

Keep your ear's open on this one, Emergency meeting at City Hall today. Big news coming!

[King&James]

Crickets on this one. Any updates that anyone heard on the street?

[King&James]

Maybe the Spec is watching the thread. Looks like CN is just stonewalling and acting in bad faith. Hopefully an OLT forced decision or an MZO will break the impasse.

[SteelTown]

Based on feedback, it seems like the City has a deal with CN; they've cancelled an upcoming OLT meeting in February. They'll reconvene in May or June 2025 to probably announce the details.

[ScreamingViking]

Moving into fall now, unsurprisingly.

I'm not sure discussion with CN earlier in the process would have helped much... the railway probably does not want a precedent set here, though there are plenty of those across the country. The province will probably need to step in and impose a deal (the article discusses MZO potential later on, though the city hasn't formally asked for one yet)


Mayor disappointed by CN’s ‘refusal’ to end Jamesville dispute
Parties have given themselves until September to hash out a resolution.

by Teviah Moro
The Hamilton Spectator
June 16, 2025

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...6bc5e592d.html





Mayor Andrea Horwath says “all options remain on the table” to resolve a years-long appeal of Hamilton’s stymied Jamesville housing project.

“I understand the community’s frustration with the continued delays, and I too share them,” Horwath told The Spectator in an emailed statement.

CN Rail appealed the plan to redevelop Jamesville, a vacant CityHousing townhouse complex in the North End, to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) in 2022.

The rail giant has cited concerns about potential “conflicts” with its nearby bayfront shunting yard, including potential complaints about noise and odour.

“I’ve pushed at every level, and I’ll continue to do so. CN can resolve this now — their refusal to act is deeply disappointing,” Horwath said.

...

Anticipating the project, the municipal housing provider started to vacate the townhouses as early as 2015.

Years later, the vacant, hollowed-out townhouses remain an eyesore amid a crushing housing crisis punctuated by people living in tents and shelters filled to capacity.

Moving people out of Jamesville so far in advance “was a huge mistake,” said Coun. Cameron Kroetsch, who represents the area. “And that’s why we are where we are today.”

CityHousing has since changed its policy to ensure that doesn’t happen again, said Kroetsch, who’s on the municipal housing provider’s board.

Another misstep, he said, was not responding immediately to a letter CN sent to flag concerns with the Jamesville plan ahead of its appeal.

“We should have had a much more proactive approach to this.”

...

[ohhimark]

wait, did Cameron Kroetsch actually say something that made sense?

[King&James]

I really don't know why the City is trying to negotiate anything at this point. Have the OLT be the bad guy either way and get this done already. Clearly the City has actually not done all that is possible, otherwise we would see movement.

[SteelTown]

Hamilton mayor urges Ontario to push through Jamesville housing development despite CN's appeal
CN Rail has said it's concerned about noise, odour coming from its nearby yard

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...-mzo-1.7584676

Mayor Andrea Horwath is appealing to the Ontario government for help in getting nearly 500 homes built in Hamilton despite CN Rail blocking the project for years.

The city evicted residents from 91 of its affordable townhouses — a community known as Jamesville — nearly 10 years ago, with the expectation of quickly redeveloping the property on James Street North.

But CN Rail, which operates a yard and tracks that are close by, previously said it's concerned about the impacts of odour, vibration and noise on future residents.

The private railway company appealed the city's Jamesville plans to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) in 2022, but the proceedings have dragged on.

The partially demolished site has sat vacant ever since, and is fenced off and deteriorating.

A hearing was supposed to take place last February, but that was cancelled, said the city in a news release the month before. At that time, both sides had requested a case management conference or settlement hearing for May or June.

Province accepting comments

But as of last week, no agreement had materialized, and Horwath announced she's asked the province to issue a Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) to break the "logjam." An MZO would override any municipal land conflicts and allow the housing work to go ahead.

"Right now, we have a real chance to get it across the finish line," Horwath said in a video posted to Facebook. "But we need your help."

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is accepting feedback until Aug. 12 about the Jamesville redevelopment before it makes its decision. The mayor urged residents to share their thoughts on redeveloping the site.

[ScreamingViking]

In the "old school" way of doing business, some bigwig at CN would have his assistant place a call to someone influential in the government and we'd never hear about the issue again.

I don't see how that's possible today, but I suppose it could happen. And that would be very unfortunate given the size of this proposed development and the visibility of the land in question. And I would bet it will be around a lot longer than the Stuart St. rail yard, which CN will have financial incentive to offload as development of West Harbour really takes off.

Planners for the Barton/Tiffany lands directly adjacent to the yard must be watching this closely, though nothing (unfortunately) is imminent there.

[mishap]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

And I would bet it will be around a lot longer than the Stuart St. rail yard, which CN will have financial incentive to offload as development of West Harbour really takes off.

That's likely the real issue, isn't it? Not that the housing development interferes with their plans to conduct railway business on that site, but rather that it might impact any plans to cease railway business on that site. They don't care about noise complaints. They were there first, they're federally mandated, they'll win every time. What they care about is how much they can get when they eventually offload that land. And they won't get as much with a high-density social housing development abutting it.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by mishap

What they care about is how much they can get when they eventually offload that land. And they won't get as much with a high-density social housing development abutting it.

Is it established that locations near social housing (and that property only has a portion dedicated to geared-to-income homes; much of it will be market rate) and denser residential uses have lower land values? The eastern end of the rail yard is around 400m away. I could see CN making that argument, but to me it doesn't hold water.

I'd think being on a waterfront would trump anything else when it comes to the value of the land on which that yard sits (never mind the costs of remediation, which will be high given its use for the past ~150 years)

Keeping it derelict by delaying won't help either. If CN thinks the city is going to cave and move the "social" part to a different area then good luck to them... the city will still want to maximize density on a block of land that is about 100m from a GO station at its most southerly edge. And the province would like to see higher density near its transit stations. Best hope for CN is influential people in the provincial government and a neighbourhood backlash against what is proposed, which hasn't happened.

[King&James]

CN should use their influence wisely and get an MZO for their railyard that maximizes residential and commercial uses as part of their settlement on Jamesville . Let's make it easy for them to consider alternative locations for their shunting yards elsewhere.

[SteelTown]

Jamesville demolition job to start first week of September
Knocking down derelict townhouses ‘first concrete step’ in years toward stalled redevelopment, mayor says.

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...39bcd5948.html

CityHousing Hamilton’s long-vacant townhouses at Jamesville are to be no more by the end of the year.

The municipal housing provider announced Friday demolition of the 91 derelict homes off James Street North will start the first week of September.

The former social-housing complex is to be bulldozed ahead of frustrated plans to build a denser, mixed-income community on the 5.4-acre North End site.

That project, a partnership with private developers, has been held up by a dispute with CN Rail, which has appealed the proposal to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Earlier this year, CityHousing, with council’s support, requested a provincial ministerial zoning order (MZO) to override the tribunal impasse with the parties failing to reach a resolution.

The province hasn’t yet announced a decision on the MZO request.

......

Friday’s news release says “site mobilization” will start in the first week off September with the knock-down expected to be done by year’s end.

“While large-scale operations like this can face unexpected challenges, every effort will be made to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible.”

Dust-mitigation measures, tree preservation plans and other details are still being worked out, the city says.

[SteelTown]

Ontario Building More Homes Near Transit in Hamilton
Province unlocking vacant land for up to 642 new homes near West Harbour GO Station

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1...it-in-hamilton

HAMILTON — The Ontario government is supporting the construction of up to 642 new homes at 405 James Street North (Jamesville) near the West Harbour GO Station in Hamilton. As part of its work to protect Ontario and in partnership with the municipal government, the province is unlocking this vacant land through a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to build more homes and keep workers in tariff-hit sectors on the job in the face of economic uncertainty.

“I want to thank Mayor Horwath for identifying this tremendous opportunity to speed up the redevelopment of Jamesville, ending years of delays to get shovels in the ground and get more homes built for people who need them,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Our government is proud to partner with Hamilton and provide the city with the tools and support it needs to get vital housing projects like this one underway as fast as possible.”

To address pent-up housing demand, the City of Hamilton requested Ontario issue an MZO. Vacant since 2019, the province is helping to accelerate redevelopment of Jamesville, allowing CityHousing Hamilton, Indwell and the Jamesville Redevelopment Limited Partnership to revitalize the site with new apartment buildings and townhouses that include up to 210 affordable units, achieving Ontario and Hamilton’s shared goal of increasing density near transit and providing a mix of market and affordable housing options.

“This moment did not happen by accident,” said Andrea Horwath, Mayor of Hamilton. “It came after years of relentless advocacy, countless meetings, and pushing through barriers. Since my first day as Mayor, I have made Jamesville a top priority — working with the Minister(s) of Housing and confronting the challenges created by CN head-on; because Hamiltonians — particularly our North End neighbours deserve nothing less. I’d like to thank Minister Flack and the Ontario government for recognizing the importance of this project and taking action. I want to also thank City of Hamilton’s planning staff, CityHousing Hamilton, Indwell and the Jamesville Redevelopment Limited Partnership for their steadfast collaboration.”

[SteelTown]

Jamesville Social Housing Redevelopment | ? | 3 to 20 fl | Halted -> Jamesville Social Housing Redevelopment | ? | 3 to 20 fl | Approved

[SteelTown]

Update

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

The plan has changed slightly since these renderings were released, with a 20-storey tower added at the southeast corner now: