Former Fort Erie restaurant site eyed for condos
Developer unveils plans for Keystone Kelly’s property
The days are numbered for a derelict building considered to be an eyesore amid the town’s eastern gateway.
Plans for the property were unveiled Wednesday by Fort Erie-based ATW Niagara Development Inc. and include a sevenstorey condominium complex, which will be known as Compass Heights.
“We had been putting in offers on this property for over a year,” said ATW president Jeffrey Andrews. “We finally closed on it earlier this year.”
Since that time, ATW has been working with town staff and Niagara Region on the proposal.
“We know the checklist,” Andrews said. “We’ve been doing archeological digs, Phase 2 environmental assessments, as well as all the engineering and other studies.”
Andrews cautioned that renderings of the proposed condos are subject to change.
While the project has yet to come before council — Andrews was unsure when exactly that would be — he said ATW decided to unveil the plan now in answer to a curious public.
“People are stopping by every 10 minutes and asking when we have people there,” Andrews said. “We knew that would happen as soon as the fences went up around the property.”
The site, which has sat vacant for more than 15 years, was previously home to the Keystone Kelly’s restaurant. It has been identified by both the town and the region as a signature site and a gateway to Fort Erie.
Ward 2 Coun. Nick Dubanow, in whose ward the site is located, said he’s thrilled to see something happening with it.
“It’s a prominent location,” he said. “People come off the Peace Bridge and loop around Central (Avenue) and it’s the first thing they see. The fact is, it’s great to see that something is going in on that site.”
Like Andrews, Dubanow acknowledged that residents have been speculating about what may be going in at the site. The most popular rumour being the site would be home to a Starbucks.
“That will be going in up the street,” Dubanow said.
Mayor Wayne Redekop welcomed the project.
“Any case of someone wanting to invest in the town is very welcome,” he said.
He said, however, there is plenty that needs to be done before shovels can go into the ground.
That’s because the property in question — 7 Central Ave. — is listed as “core mixed use” under the town’s Gateway Secondary Plan, approved by council and the region back in 2011. The core mixed use designation restricts building heights to four storeys.
“They will need to get a bylaw amendment,” Redekop said.