Confederation Park Shopping Centre

SteelTown · #1 Posted **Apr 9, 2010, 1:10 PM**

Since it's been approved by both City Hall and OMB I'll create a separate thread for the Confederation Park Shopping Centre.

SteelTown · #2 Posted **Apr 9, 2010, 1:12 PM**

Smart Centres cleared to build $100M development

By Kevin Werner, News Staff
News
Apr 08, 2010
http://www.hamiltonmountainnews.com/news/article/207116

Smart Centres is already designing plans to build a $100-million commercial and retail development on Centennial Parkway and the South Service Road a few weeks after the Ontario Municipal Board dismissed two appeals from local environment groups when a settlement was reached.

“This is great news for the city,” said Ward 5 Coun. Chad Collins, who represents the area. “It will provide jobs and important tax revenue to the city.”

Hamiltonians for Progressive Development and Environment Hamilton launched appeals against council’s decision last July arguing the proposal “does not promote economic development and competitiveness through providing an appropriate mix of employment to meet long-term needs …”

HPD and EH also argued the property was only accessible by vehicle, creating acute safety problems for pedestrians and cyclists in the area. In the settlement reached between HPD, EH and Smart Centres, the development company agreed to construct a sidewalk along the east side of Centennial Parkway to the bridge, build a transit layover facility at the site, and provide up to $50,000 per year for four years to help offset the city’s transit operating costs.

EH and HPD had reached an accommodation with Smart Centres in February. Council soon approved the agreement, but it wasn’t released until last week. Smart Centres also reached a compromise last month with Purolator, which is located beside the property. Purolator, while not against the development, was concerned it would eliminate any access to its business, and had made a number of appeals to the OMB in an attempt to seek a solution.

Smart Centres is also required under the agreement to provide a detailed traffic study.

Smart Centres applied to the city in 2007 to redevelop the former Waxman scrap yard on Warrington Street.

The development includes a 120- room hotel, a Wal-Mart store, and office space. It is expected to create about 900 jobs in the retail sector and another 300 jobs in the hotel and office portion.

Jon Dalton · #3 Posted **Apr 9, 2010, 7:49 PM**

$100 million.... just freaking wow.

Imagine just one private construction of this magnitude that didn't totally suck?

If enough people woke up to how disgusting and wrong this is, would that money find its way to projects that build our city?

bigguy1231 · #4 Posted **Apr 9, 2010, 8:50 PM**

It's good to see it has finally been approved.

Now they can get on with approving the Fifty Rd site as well.

emge · #5 Posted **Apr 10, 2010, 4:06 AM**

Quick money for the city... more long-term costs and sucking more life out of existing businesses.

Sure, it may be short-term "good news" but the lack of foresight bothers me greatly.

SteelTown · #6 Posted **Apr 10, 2010, 2:59 PM**

The OMB and HPD determined that Confederation Park Shopping Centre won't do any harm to downtown's retail business. I'll look for the report so you can read for yourself.

SteelTown · #7 Posted **Apr 10, 2010, 3:06 PM**

"Mr. Saulesleja’s (OMB's Land Use Consultant Planner) opinion is that the subject site is an appropriate location for the proposed development, to which all necessary services can be provided. It is a brownfield site that will be remediated to appropriate provincial standards and the proposed development will intensify its use. The proposal will facilitate development of a gateway and improve the appearance of Centennial Parkway; it will provide substantial employment to the City and will not have any significant adverse impact on the function of the Downtown, the main streets, and other commercial areas in the vicinity of the subject site. Mr. Saulesleja opined that the proposal provides an appropriate range of commercial and other employment uses and the design policies in the modified OPA 219 will provide for a visually appealing development, which is desirable as the site is a visually prominent location from the QEW and Centennial Parkway North."

http://www.omb.gov.on.ca/e-decisions...ar-24-2010.pdf

emge · #8 Posted **Apr 10, 2010, 3:45 PM**

Oh, I wasn't thinking downtown -- I was thinking of businesses more proximal to the planned development

If the report says otherwise, that's one thing, but I don't think you can really help it affecting it to some extent (retail, not necessarily all "commercial")

I'm more concerned about the difficulty of accessing it, although I do think the brownfield remediation is a good thing... I just think in 20 years we're going to go "ah, this didn't help anything"

bigguy1231 · #9 Posted **Apr 10, 2010, 6:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by emge

Oh, I wasn't thinking downtown -- I was thinking of businesses more proximal to the planned development

If the report says otherwise, that's one thing, but I don't think you can really help it affecting it to some extent (retail, not necessarily all "commercial")

I'm more concerned about the difficulty of accessing it, although I do think the brownfield remediation is a good thing... I just think in 20 years we're going to go "ah, this didn't help anything"

I understand your concerns, but 20 years from now that site could very well be something else. It's a valuable plot of land, they may decide in 10 years to tear it down and build something else.

emge · #10 Posted **Apr 10, 2010, 8:24 PM**

I'm pretty sure they WILL do it in 20 years.. I just wish we could do it without the huge waste of build-and-tear-down that we do these days.

Jon Dalton · #11 Posted **Apr 12, 2010, 5:09 PM**

The site might be used as the Stoney Creek GO station for the Niagara expansion. If so, they should get ShitCentres to pony up for that as well, otherwise it would be transit funding bringing people to Sprawl Mart's doorstep.

SteelTown · #12 Posted **Aug 8, 2011, 7:04 PM**

The foundation is starting, $700,000 worth. Building permit # 11-107244

SteelTown · #13 Posted **Aug 8, 2011, 7:20 PM**

I have a feeling a new theatre will go in this location.

SteelTown · #14 Posted **Aug 8, 2011, 11:07 PM**

palace1 · #15 Posted **Aug 9, 2011, 1:32 PM**

Is that a roundabout in the parking lot with trees and archways leading up to it (sort of like a Champs-Elysees de Walmart)?

go_leafs_go02 · #16 Posted **Aug 9, 2011, 4:39 PM**

That roundabout should have been shifted to the south to meet up with the Centennial Parkway access.

It makes no sense really in its present location.

thomax · #17 Posted **Apr 18, 2013, 4:41 PM**

New Site Plan:

Source

vs. Old Site Plan:

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelTown

SteelTown · #18 Posted **Aug 9, 2011, 5:10 PM**

The Centennial entrance is probably the main entrance/exit to the centre so it's likely a two way stop to keep the traffic moving. If it was a roundabout it would likely resulted in backed up traffic along Centennial.

A traffic study was done so there's a reason for it.

SteelTown · #19 Posted **Aug 9, 2011, 5:19 PM**

The building that's north west of the Wal-Mart building looks a lot like a theatre to me, next to Warrington St.

The building at the top corner is a Hotel.

markbarbera · #20 Posted **Sep 7, 2011, 11:12 AM**

The framing is up for this shop. They look to be gunning for an opening in time for the Christmas shopping season.