13 Oct Adding Housing and Keeping Neighbourhood Character
We can all agree that St. Catharines needs more housing units. Where we tend to get a bit stuck is how we are going to get there. We cannot sprawl out.
We have to be creative and we most importantly have to attract developers who will think and build differently like the team behind Warbler Place at Seaway Mall in Welland. Warbler Place is taking 420,000 sq ft of asphalt and creating a community with different housing options – condos, townhouses, single family, duplex – that will have rentals, rent to own and ownership.
We have vast amounts of asphalt parking lots at Fourth Ave, Fairview Mall, Midtown Plaza, Lake and Carlton Plaza and along Ontario St. All of these are located on transit routes and all have amenities within a short walk. By encouraging redevelopment of these types of locations, we can maintain the character of our neighbourhoods and increase housing.
We need to attract creative and innovative developers and work with them to create the community we all want to live in.
