A PRIME WATERFRONT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

A PRIME WATERFRONT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

HAMILTON WEST HARBOUR CONTENTS 4 A Brief History of Hamilton s West Harbour 6 Hamilton s Waterfront Playground Today 10 A Vision for West Harbour 15 Engaging the West Harbour Community 16 Invest in Hamilton 2 3

HAMILTON WEST HARBOUR A Brief History of Hamilton s West Harbour In the early 1990s, a major transformation of the West Harbour began with a focus on the natural ecological experience of the harbour. Over the past 30 years, investments of almost $2 billion by both public and private sectors have helped to remediate the harbour, and enhance its water and ecological quality. The City and its waterfront stakeholders have been internationally recognized for the restoration of the Hamilton Harbour environmental ecosystem and the revival of the Harbour s diverse range of fish and wildlife habitat. The opening of Bayfront Park and Pier 4 Park on remediated industrial lands meant for the first time in decades, Hamiltonians could access the water s edge. The West Harbour Millennium Trail, established in 2000, invites hikers, walkers and cyclists to physically connect to the Harbour s western marshlands and lush forests of Cootes Paradise and the world-famous Royal Botanical Gardens. This is only the beginning. West Harbour is now a strategic focus for the City of Hamilton in terms of economic development / investment, tourism and its ongoing city-building initiatives. It is also an increasingly popular recreational destination for Hamilton and the surrounding communities. Hamilton s waterfront has been a centre of trade, commercial and industrial growth, and recreation and cultural activities since the city s incorporation in 1846. Once a place of leisure activities and a swimming hole for working class families, urbanization and industrial expansion on the waterfront nearly destroyed the natural habitat. The Harbour s ecosystem was severely degraded and by the 1950s, was deemed unfit for any recreation use. The harbour was at its lowest point with severe water quality problems and little public access. Fast-forward to the 1980s, we saw improved pollution controls, greater water quality awareness, and an enormous community-wide effort underway to reclaim the harbour as Hamilton s outdoor playground. 4 5

HAMILTON WEST HARBOUR Hamilton s Waterfront Playground Today Three decades of investment have helped to transform the West Harbour into a vibrant space for people to live, work and play. Some of the exciting local attractions that residents and visitors to the area enjoy today include: THE HARBOUR QUEEN CRUISE BOAT, an award-winning tourist experience that provides a great summertime, on-the-water experience dining, sightseeing, dance parties and special event cruises. 12-PASSENGER TOUR BOAT offers a narrated historical 60-minute tour of Hamilton Harbour 37-PASSENGER TRACKLESS TROLLEYS travel along the western shoreline of the 12-kilometre Hamilton Waterfront Trail, a lush haven alive with wildlife, fauna and forests, as well as marinas and on-site attractions. 6 7

HAMILTON WEST HARBOUR PIER 9 IS HOME TO THE H.M.C.S. HAIDA, Canada s most decorated warship. Visitors are welcome to explore the decks, step back in time and learn the exciting history of the Royal Canadian Navy s World War II and Korean War Tribal Class Destroyer, the last of its kind in the world. THE NHL-SIZED SKATING RINK ON PIER 8 is a year-round outdoor destination with both winter ice-skating and summer roller-skating activities at the water s edge. BAYFRONT PARK and PIER 4 PARK are teeming with a variety of leisure, cultural and recreational activities, and spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding harbour. Pier 4 Park boasts the popular Bayport tugboat (circa 1945), which provides children with a full view of the water and is the centrepiece of a fun, interactive play area. The boardwalk promenade meanders along the sculptured man-made shoreline with pavilions, benches, public and private marinas and immense parkland, waterside cafés and restaurants, and superb launch points where you can enjoy boating, kiteboarding, windsurfing and sailing. 8 9

A Vision for West Harbour Hamilton s waterfront is where adventurous voyages will begin and end. The vision for West Harbour has inspired residents, businesses and new investors alike. Building on the enormous success to date, West Harbour promises to unlock a treasure of ecological, recreational and cultural experiences. The redevelopment of existing parkland, vacant and surplus public land, historic water courses and abandoned rail lines, will create a cohesive, multi-purpose district that capitalizes on the harbour s head-of-the-lake setting. Future development on Piers 5 to 8 will include a variety of linked open spaces plazas, promenades, squares, green spaces, nature trails and parkettes that will not only augment the waterfront park system and improve connectivity, but also provide a backyard for the proposed on-the-water residential community. We ll see enhanced neighbourhood streetscapes; new facilities for recreational boating; canoe, kayak, bicycle and paddle boat rentals; and the water s edge promenade a six-metre-wide boardwalk that will provide a great pathway to an array of imagined marine pleasures. Improved connections between the waterfront and downtown Hamilton via James Street North will draw visitors from across the region and fuel the growth of this prominent tourist destination. 10 11

HAMILTON WEST HARBOUR The foot of James Street will also be transformed into a casual meeting space, featuring outdoor terraced seating and plazas inviting users into the space. The area will be alive with retail, cafés, bistros, pubs and restaurants, a seasonal artisan market, all while preserving and enhancing spectacular views and vistas of the harbour. The goal is to enhance the waterfront experience and retain the distinctive architectural character and heritage of the waterfront district and for the first time bringing the public directly to the water s edge. 12 13

HAMILTON WEST HARBOUR Engaging the West Harbour Community Collaborating with West Harbour residents, the City of Hamilton has established a set of guidelines to ensure that all waterfront development enhances the quality of life of local residents, and maintains the character and charm of existing features of the area. These key principles are embedded in the City s key strategic planning documents, Setting Sail Secondary Plan and the West Harbour Waterfront Recreation Master Plan, which are the result of extensive public and neighbourhood consultation that began in the early 2000s. The plans establish the framework for public improvements and private development to promote year-round enjoyment and appreciation of the waterfront, ensuring greater public access to the water s edge through the use of trails and boardwalks, and that the naturalized shoreline remained a priority. Community engagement is ongoing today and includes local residents from the North End, Beasley, Central and Strathcona neighbourhoods, which compromise the West Harbour district. The West Harbour communities are close-knit and local residents are conscious of the potential impacts of redevelopment work on the lower income or more vulnerable residents of the area. As a result, maintaining a supply of affordable housing, building safe streets and public spaces, and creating neighbourhoods that are accessible to residents of all ages and abilities are key areas of concern. City of Hamilton staff and prospective developers will continue to engage members of the local community in an open dialogue about ways in which increased density and new commercial, recreational and cultural development opportunities in the West Harbour can co-exist and minimize the impact on the existing residential neighbourhoods. The historic residential neighbourhoods have been assured that planners, developers and the community will embrace waterfront development that is human in scale, i.e., limiting both the height and proposed densities of new development. 14 15

HAMILTON WEST HARBOUR INVEST IN HAMILTON The Conference Board of Canada ranks Hamilton as Canada s most diverse city economy. The City s economic transformation has attracted new foreign investment in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and technology. The information and cultural industries are among Hamilton s fastest growing sectors. The Port of Hamilton is the largest port in Ontario and the busiest on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. The city s housing market one of the country s hottest real estate markets and proposed LRT transit plans have made Hamilton a top destination for residential and commercial property buyers from Toronto and across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Hamilton Harbour s redevelopment is a key priority in the City s strategic plan. Hamilton owns and controls almost eight hectares (20 acres) of waterfront lands within the West Harbour. While the city has taken measures to mitigate the risk for potential investors, interest to date has been high from the private development and investor sectors. New investment opportunities are diverse and exciting, in particular, the creation of Hamilton s first on-the-water community. It will include a mixed use community of up to 1,600 residential units on Pier 8, a commercial village on Piers 6 and 7, and more than 13,000 square metres of leasable commercial and institutional space. The goal is to enhance the use and value of the waterfront precinct for residents and businesses alike. By ensuring the waterfront remains accessible, inclusive and integrated, new investment in the West Harbour will help the City s waterfront vision become a reality. West Harbour is only blocks from the new GO Transit terminal on James Street North and less than a kilometre away from the city s bustling downtown, which has also experienced its own remarkable metamorphosis over the past 10 years. Hamilton s downtown is home to 13,700 residents and 24,000 employees, and currently has more than 2,000 condominium units either planned or under construction. Downtown Hamilton is experiencing growth unlike anything the city has seen in decades. Young entrepreneurs and Hamilton s ambitious millennial generation are driving a cultural and commercial renaissance in the core of the old city. The result is an explosion of gallery spaces, restaurants and cafés, boutiques, expansive growth in the creative industries, and a thriving music and arts scene. The City of Hamilton in the early 21st century is an investor s dream. As the City s bold vision for the West Harbour waterfront community comes closer to fruition, the result will be an international showcase of sustainable marine and urban development, and a once again, a recreational, ecological and cultural destination for all. Hamilton today is the place to invest. 1,600 RESIDENTIAL UNITS SLATED FOR DEVELOPMENT ON PIER 8 13,000 SQ M LEASEABLE COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL SPACE ON PIERS 6, 7, 8 2,000+ CONDO UNITS PLANNED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE- CLOSE TO THE WEST HARBOUR 16 4 17

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