Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath has issued many requests for Hamiltonians to write Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in support of her request for a Minister’s Zoning Order to bypass an Ontario Land Tribunal appeal filed by CN Rail regarding the City-sponsored redevelopment of the Jamesville site at 405 James Street North.
Now, the North End’s neighbourhood association is flagging concerns that TPR has previously reported on: the MZO prioritizes for-profit housing units and contains no provisions to require new affordable units.
Following the MZO being posted on July 11, TPR was the only media outlet to immediately report that the request prioritizes the development of for-profit housing, contains no provisions guaranteeing new deeply affordable (or even affordable) housing, and allows the private development group to immediately build the easiest and most profitable form of housing on the site: stacked townhouses.
Very little is known about the City’s MZO request because it has been classified as secret by City Council.
There are no known guarantees to protect against the developer group declaring bankruptcy after paying out profits from the stacked townhouses.
NEN To Meet on August 6 to Discuss
In an email on Friday, the North End Neighbours, the area neighbourhood association, said it has concerns about the MZO and related secrecy.
“The proposal submission exceeds the building height limit of six storeys outlined in the Setting Sail Secondary Plan, prioritizes market rate housing over affordable housing, and gives no information on how the building’s design or type will reduce noise and pollution for residents from the train yards,” reads the association’s email.
The association is encouraging people to submit their feedback on the MZO to the provincial government before the August 12 deadline.
NEN will hold its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 6, at 7 p.m., at the Bennetto Recreation Centre.
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Published: July 27, 2025
Last updated: July 27, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
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