Following a quick settlement hearing, maybe the quickest settlement hearing ever, the Ontario Land Tribunal issued its expected approval for the redevelopment of a mostly vacant commercial plaza at 399 Greenhill Avenue in East Hamilton into a mixed-use community with 546 residential rental units.
Medallion Developments is now permitted to build two 12-storey rental apartment buildings, including ground-level commercial space, and two blocks of townhouses on the 1.45-hectare property located on the north side of Greenhill Avenue, which is bound by Mount Albion Road to the east.
Ward 5 Councillor Matt Francis remained opposed to the development, citing concerns expressed by nearby residents regarding density, height, and traffic. The board of the neighbouring 11-storey and 12-storey condo buildings stated that more 12-storey midrise buildings would harm neighbourhood character.
Hamilton East – Stoney Creek Member of Parliament, Liberal Chad Collins, also opposed the project.
On June 26, 2024, Francis succeeded in blocking the proposal in an 8-8 council vote.
Following the vote, Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson opined that once the application made it to the Ontario Land Tribunal, it would be the ‘quickest approval ever.’
The vote gained national attention when a few weeks later, Federal Conservative shadow critic for housing MP Scott Aitchison visited the site and recorded a social media video criticizing City Council’s vote, blaming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau [who had no role in the decision], and saying a Conservative government will require municipalities to approve these kinds of project if they wish to receive federal Housing Accelerator Fund funding.
It was the conservative-leaning councillors on Council who voted against the project.
Settlement Details to Be Released Later
During verbal testimony at the Tribunal today, Medallion’s planning consultant, Registered Professional Planner Stephanie Kwast, stated the settlement deal changes include that the two 12-storey buildings will have stepbacks to comply with a City request for a 45-degree angular plan measured from Greenhill Avenue, that residential units in Building A (the furthest west on the site, fronting onto Greenhill Avenue) are being decreased to allow a 45 percent increase in retail space. Eight short-term street parking spaces are being added near the commercial spaces.
The OLT states the written settlement decision will be released in the coming weeks.
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: March 31, 2025
Last updated: March 31, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
People don’t need more rental units they need homes. Mis information stating that the plaza is mostly vacant, the only thing that is closed in the plaza is the grocery store. The plaza still contains a bank, shoppers drug mart, a convenience store a dentist, a pizza place, the local bar and a laundromat. Sad that an entire neighbour hood of people can say please we don’t want this, and some politicians that know nothing about the area forcefully ram this down our throat so they can meet building quotas and please there developer buddy’s. That plaza was the only source of food, shopping, or entertainment with in walking distance just gonna turn it into an over packed dead zone and hurt property values.
Thank you for the comment.
1) There is no “misinformation.” The majority of the commercial space is vacant.
2) Rental units are homes. We need more homes across the spectrum, including purpose-built rental housing.
3) The new development includes 1,400 square feet of commercial space.
I agree.
It is also worth mentioning that it is private property, so a few neighbours don’t get to decide what happens with it. They could buy it and do what they want. But you can’t dictate what others do with their property. This is classic NIMBYISM, we do not want change, we have no plan alternative, just no.
There is no legal right to having food, shopping, or entertainment within what you define as walking distance. The Quigley/Greenhill plaza is a 14 minute walk or 4 minute bus ride.