Developer wants to bring large development to Hespeler brownfield site

A Kitchener developer is proposing to turn an empty five-hectare brownfield near Jacob Hespeler Secondary School into a mixed-use, high-density residential development with four high-rise towers and commercial space.

The proposal, from Blacks Point Development, wants to add as many as 2,000 residential units to the property at 410 Queen St. W. as a way to “provide critical housing supply and support the revitalization of historic Hespeler Village.”

In an emailed response to CambridgeToday, partner with Blacks Point, Bryan Dykstra, said an application for an Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendment were submitted to the City of Cambridge last week. 

“We have also been in contact with all city councillors and look forward to beginning the public consultation process early next year,” he said. 

Early details for the proposal are provided on Blacks Point's website and state the project would include five mixed-use blocks and two million square-feet of space comprised of 10 residential and commercial buildings ranging in height from 12 to 30 storeys.

The developer says the location is in an area already identified by the city as an “intensification node.” The industrial site was the former home of a series of businesses including Woods Transport, Dominion Consolidated and then Challenger Motor Freight.

The developer estimates the project will generate more than $50 million in development charges for the region and City of Cambridge, and more than $10 million in annual property tax revenue.

The site says the property would be “serviced by public transit” and claims the proposed Pinebush light rail transit station is “a short walk” away.

“This development will help provide critical housing supply and support the revitalization of historic Hespeler Village … will reinvigorate the area and … will create a unique gateway to Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo,” the site says.

The developer touts 410 Queen St. W. as a way to intensify an area that is “not culturally sensitive and is away from existing residential neighbourhoods.”

Blacks Point Development is also the firm behind a plan to transform the former Dominion Woollens and Worsted Ltd. textile mill at 211-215 Queen St. W. 

The proposal to turn the heritage property into 140 condominium apartments and commercial space is expected to return to council with a staff report and recommendation early in the new year.

Contacted Thursday morning about Blacks Point's latest proposal in Cambridge, deputy city manager Hardy Bromberg said it would be premature for the city to comment on an application staff hasn't had a chance to review.

He added he thinks it’s somewhat unusual for a developer to make details available for public scrutiny ahead of that process.

The application is not posted on the City of Cambridge web page listing current development applications.

Documents related to the development, including a design brief, traffic study, shadow study, noise report and site plan aren’t currently available for download on Blacks Point's website either, but the site says the links will be live in January.

“We are excited to begin the public consultations for this transformational project,” the site says. 

Hespeler councillor Mike Devine agreed the tactic to release so much information this early in the process is unusual. 

When asked if it appeared to be setting the stage for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO), he speculated it could be the case.

“I see some 30-storey stuff there, which is a bit of a stretch to say the least,” Devine said.

The legislation in the Planning Act gives the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the power to avoid giving notice or consulting with a municipality prior to enacting an MZO, essentially bypassing typical requirements for processing development applications. 

It expedites projects that prioritize things like employment, transit, affordable housing, long-term care homes and economic recovery by removing barriers and delays. 

Throughout its project website, Blacks Point highlights the need for housing, stating the region is in critical need of housing supply, and cites a Scotiabank report on the Canadian housing market that says Waterloo Region falls 20 per cent below the average supply for housing per capita among G7 nations.

“Without creating more housing supply,” the site states, “these figures will continue to skyrocket, potentially pricing current residents and retirees out of the community.

“Increasing the housing stock results in greater tax generation, job creation, economic development opportunities and the ability to address social and economic inequality.”

Blacks Point also says their proposal would complement the Cambridge Smart Centre development less than a kilometre away.

That project, just across Highway 401, got MZO approval last year to redevelop the existing retail shopping complex with a mix of up to 10,000 new residential units, including rental apartments, condominiums, townhouses and seniors housing. It is scheduled to be built out over the next 10 to 20 years.

MZO approval is currently being sought by the developer of million-square foot e-commerce warehouse in Blair that was endorsed by city council.

In the wake of outcry over the Blair MZO, the city adopted a new policy in September requiring developers to submit a planning justification report when seeking MZO support from council.

“Let’s face it. MZO is the flavour of the day,” Devine said. “I’ve talked to a number of developers looking to do stuff in Ward 2 and MZO comes up on a pretty regular basis. 

“I just tell them, the problem with MZO is there’s virtually no input from the community.”

But Dykstra said Blacks Point “is not considering an MZO at this time.”

“We look forward to working with city staff and members of council to advance our application and provide much-needed housing stock to the region,” he said. 

Devine says he has a meeting scheduled with Dykstra in January to discuss the proposal.