Plans for future of Hespeler Road don’t include gas stations, box stores: report
Posted Apr 22, 2026 07:16:10 AM.
Last Updated Apr 22, 2026 10:30:27 AM.
The City of Cambridge could look to change the way they approach development on Hespeler Road in the coming years, as that stretch of roadway prepares for the construction of Stage 2 of the ION.
The Hespeler Road Secondary Plan is a document coming to council on May 5 that outlines priorities for the area that could transition the roadway from being speckled with brand-name box stores, gas stations, and fast food drive-throughs into an area that thinks transit first.
“Hespeler Road is a multifunctional corridor,” reads the report from the City of Cambridge. “It is a major thoroughfare that connects Highway 401 to Highway 403 and is the main access into Cambridge from the north, connecting the downtowns of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge.”
“At a broader scale, the introduction of higher-order transit provides an opportunity to improve the broader connectivity within the Region’s transportation network and also help to address resiliency aspects of climate change.”
Under these new guidelines, no new box stores, gas stations, or businesses with a focus on personal vehicles would be allowed to be built along Hespeler Road. Instead, the city would focus on building new parks, public spaces, trails, and community amenities.
The city will look to take advantage of the future light-rail connections by approving high-rise and high-density residential builds along Hespeler Road in the coming years, with a focus on tall towers that offer commercial space along the street-level floors.
Under this plan, the city would look to maximize opportunities to build affordable housing and purpose-built rental units.
Regional councillors approved plans to build Phase 2 of the ION into Cambridge in November, bringing 17 kilometres of tracks connecting Cambridge to Kitchener and beyond via light rail trains.
The price of construction to build between Fairway Station and downtown could be $3.1 billion in 2025, rising to $4.3 billion by 2033. Regional staff are working behind the scenes to secure provincial and federal dollars to fund the project.
The City of Cambridge will host a virtual open house of the Hespeler Road Secondary Plan at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The plans head to council chambers on May 5.
