Welland’s brownfields could be productive
They’re kind of like a scar left over from your younger days — brownfields, those large abandoned properties sometimes with the shells of old industry still left standing and decaying, can be found all around Niagara.
It’s not just here, in fact many places across North America have become known for the industry they lost. Cleveland. Detroit. Pittsburgh. Buffalo.
The rustbelt, they’re called. But all those places are in varying stages of rebound and their revivals are based largely on turning their negatives — brownfields — into positives.
Old factories are coming down and being replaced by vibrant neighbourhoods, new, smaller businesses and tourism and entertainment districts. Industry on that scale isn’t coming back to Niagara, certainly not to those particular sites. With the right plans, Niagara can revitalize itself too by making good use of those brownfields.
The most recent example is the south Welland area, where the former John Deere site is being looked at for redevelopment.
The City of Welland is working on redesignating the massive site near Dain City for residential and mixeduse development. The developer, a subsidiary of Empire Homes, owns the Deere property and an adjoining parcel which has been set aside for possible development of up to 1,000 homes. A plan of subdivision is due to be presented to the city in the next year. The same company is also looking at two other former industrial sites to the north of these properties, the former Union Carbide and Energex properties. A land use study is being undertaken to determine what can be done. The four parcels total 240 hectares of land.
There are other brownfields around Niagara, the old General Motors site in St. Catharines being the most obvious. Plans to redevelop that property into housing have hit a serious bump related to the developer, but that is the long-term goal. And for an example of brownfield-turned-good, look to Niagara Falls where the old Cyanamid chemical plant property was cleaned and used to house the Gale Centre multi-plex arena.
When the Welland plan was announced recently, the usual questions came up:
Won’t all that polluted soil make the place uninhabitable? Who will buy those homes?
The answer to the second question is, they will sell. Housing prices are climbing, and the Toronto housing market is spilling into Niagara.
As to the soil, it can be cleaned. It’s potentially expensive, especially on a site so large. But it can be cleaned. That’s how brownfields are repaired and repurposed elsewhere.
After that, presuming the plans move forward, the risk is on the shoulders of the developer.
Local municipalities are more limited here than in the U.S. as to how they can refashion their brownfields. In Ontario, ‘bonusing,’ or offering grants or other incentives is not allowed. But it’s worth the effort to do what they can to make it happen.
What’s the alternative? Leave these contaminated lands contaminated? As previously stated, the former large industrial denizens of these properties are not returning. But these properties can be productive — there are the construction jobs involved, an area the size contemplated in south Welland will require amenities, such as stores, restaurants and more. It’s still early to get overly excited. Welland Mayor Frank Campion cautions “there are many, many issues that have to be resolved before moving ahead with any development on that property.” And, as the GM property in St. Catharines is proving, getting all the approvals in place is no guarantee of success if the developer can’t hold up its end of the plan.
Redeveloping old industrial sites is a long-term program but there are rewards at the end and hopefully Welland will be able to realize that.