Tribunal Orders Hamilton To Add 1,600 Hectares For Growth
Farmland on Hamilton’s edge could become development land, setting up a contest over which properties gain value.
The Ontario Land Tribunal has ordered Hamilton to add at least 1,600 gross developable hectares to its urban boundary. Its population is forecast to climb from 584,000 in 2021 to 820,000 by 2051.
Council planned to absorb that growth through denser development within the boundary. The tribunal found the strategy placed too much emphasis on apartments and would not meet demand for houses and townhomes.
For landowners, the ruling fixes the amount needed, but not its location. Inclusion opens a route to municipal services and housing approvals, lifting property values.
Three groups seek inclusion. Elfrida covers 1,131 developable hectares in upper Stoney Creek. White Church comprises 340 hectares southeast of the airport. Upper West Side controls 105 hectares near Twenty Road West and Upper James Street.
The White Church hearing begins Sept. 14; Elfrida’s is set for Jan. 18, 2027. The Upper West Side hearing was paused while the tribunal decided how much land was required.
Mayor Andrea Horwath told Connect the decision “takes the future direction of our city out of local hands where it belongs.” She said Hamilton had pursued more housing and density within the existing boundary while seeking to protect agricultural land.
The city’s legal team is reviewing the decision and will brief council on its implications and “our options, if any,” Horwath said.
Hamilton also has 4,320 hectares of “whitebelt”: rural land outside the urban boundary but unprotected by Ontario’s Greenbelt.
Other News
Lewis Group Opens Second NorCal Rental-Home Community in West Sacramento
Independence in West Sacramento, a new gated community of 208 townhome-style rental homes developed by Lewis Apartments, opened its leasing office and model homes to the public on Saturday, Oct. 24. Located in West Sacramento’s Southport/Bridgeway Island area, Independence introduces rental homes designed for residents who want the space and privacy of a single-family home...
Learn more
CBRE Arranges Sale of Future Mixed-Use Development in Wisconsin
CBRE announced the sale of a 4.66-acre parcel at the northwest corner of County Highway MM and U.S. Highway 14 in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Louisville, Kentucky-based Trilogy Real Estate Fitchburg LLC purchased the property from Fairchild Development LLC for $2.23 million, marking the company’s third location in the Madison market and expanding its footprint beyond its...
Learn more
Northmarq Arranges $96M Refi on SoCal Apartment Portfolio
Northmarq has arranged $95.8 million in refinancing for a six-property, 1,461-unit multifamily portfolio owned and operated by E&S Ring across Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. The financing was arranged through Voya Investment Management by Northmarq’s San Francisco Debt + Equity team, led by managing director Nathan Prouty, SVP Andrew Slaton and senior investment anaylst...
Learn more
Brokers
View All-
Remax Real Estate Professionals
Re/Max Real Estate Professionals
-
Jared Ennis
Central CA Commercial | California
-
Rick Recckio
Recckio Real Estate & Development
-
Greg Corbin
Northgate Real Estate Group
Lenders
View AllManagement
View All-
Essex Property Trust, Inc.
California
-
Josh A
California
-
Bob Tuteur
-
Andrew Schildcrout