THUNDER BAY – City staff are presenting their recommendations for a new Central Avenue subdivision on Tuesday.
The draft plan proposes to make the land available to build at least 1,260 new housing units, commercial space, parks and trails and run new sewer and water infrastructure on the 60 acres of city-owned land.
“We’ve included some additional transitions from lower-density housing to mid-rise housing, so that’s a change that has happened through the past consultation — as well as extending some of the future rights-of-ways to ensure that the back lands of some of the existing residents have some opportunities to develop their lands in the future,” Jillian Fazio, senior planner, explained in an interview with Newswatch Friday.
“Also, we have reduced the amount of neighbourhood commercial in the area and focused it primarily near Amber Drive. That way, we are focusing the neighbourhood commercial node, where the most density is proposed.”
City staff are proposing the amendments to the city’s official plan to adjust the boundaries of the residential and community lands to establish two neighbourhood commercial areas in the eastern part of the project lands.
“One is privately owned and, at the entrance on Central Avenue, that’s a neighbourhood commercial zone. That was something that the owners of those properties were interested in, and it is a bit of the entrance into this area. So, it creates a nice transition between the employment lands on Central Avenue into this residential area. The other node that is proposed is entirely city-owned land and allows us to create a node on four corners, which will create a very nice walkable space that transitions between the employment lands on Amber Drive into this new residential neighbourhood,” Fazio said.
Proposed zoning bylaw amendments would allow for residential and non-residential uses. Designated as a future development zone, this affects most of the project area and maintains its current state by restricting development, according to the staff report.
“Through the city’s most recent zoning bylaw, this was designated as a special policy area and was changed to zoning for future development, as in we recognize this area had a lot of development potential, and we really needed to come up with a fulsome development plan for how to develop these lands,” Aaron Ward, senior project manager, told Newswatch.
“So that’s why, in addition to being zoned future, it’s also a special policy area which requires a development plan to be brought forward rather than just small portions of land,” he added. “We want the entire neighbourhood to be looked at from one lens.”
The draft subdivision plan divides the land to create the future blocks, street allowances, stormwater management infrastructure, parkland, and active transportation and pedestrian connections.
“The Central Avenue project presents a unique opportunity to plan and create a new neighbourhood almost from scratch. So that’s where that’s part of the framework for why this was made a special policy area, because we’re not just dealing with one acre or five acres of land. This is over 100 acres of land we’re looking to bring forward for a new development concept and to create a new neighbourhood in the city,” Ward said.
The city has secured approximately $28 million in provincial and federal funding to advance this project.
The infrastructure construction staging plan is still being finalized, with work on Central Avenue scheduled to begin this year and all associated infrastructure works to be completed by March 31, 2029, in accordance with funding requirements.
Ward said they are not going to develop all the city-owned land at once. The city will take a phased approach to the project, bringing in each batch of land incrementally over the next five to 10 years. Over the next two to three years, he said, the area will be an active construction zone if council approves the project.
“Once the infrastructure is in place along the roads, existing roads and new roads, this also presents development opportunities for the private lands along Central Avenue. We’re looking to bring the sewer down Central Avenue starting the next few weeks. Those properties that front onto Central Avenue have the opportunity to redevelop. There are some vacant lands that could be developed that can happen as soon as that sewer is in place, essentially,” he said.
