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Welcome to engageSTC.ca, your online portal to engage with your City, be it learning more about the budget and providing feedback, or completing surveys to better help us serve residents, we want to hear from you.

Have Your Say!

<img src="https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/ehq-production-canada/9a5ea87ed2c861a8b93446aa49598f8a9420b4b0/original/1706911104/22183a431afb899ad70b4a264c6ccf85_Municipal-Development-Corporation_Engage_Header.jpg?1706911104" style="width: 1282px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The City of St. Catharines is looking for resident feedback on incorporating a Municipal Development Corporation (MDC) to help advance and unlock additional value to the community from its surplus real estate assets.The MDC would serve as a strategic tool in delivering and implementing funding secured by the City from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation&rsquo;s Housing Accelerator Fund. The City was awarded $25.7 million in January 2024 to implement initiatives and projects to boost the housing supply in St. Catharines. One of the initiatives identified within this funding was the establishment of an MDC.To oversee the use of these and other potential public funds, the MDC would be managed under the direction of dedicated staff and guided by a Board of Directors chaired by the Mayor, augmented by the support of a senior leadership team.<h1>What is a Municipal Development Corporation?</h1>The Municipal Development Corporation is a separate corporation wholly owned by the City of St. Catharines that can negotiate and partner with the private sector to maximize the value of the City&rsquo;s property assets and enhance marketability and demand.The mandate of the MDC would be to deliver projects that foster community renewal efforts by enabling the marketing and enhancement of surplus land assets within the City and or strategically acquiring properties poised for redevelopment.Serving as the lead developer, the MDC will allow for more nimble public-private partnerships and the potential for improved negotiations with the private sector. This would increase the pace of discussions to address the urgency of local housing needs and support greater alignment with everyday business dealings, enhancing the marketability and demand for City-owned lands. This investment in housing in St. Catharines and the creation of the MDC represent the opportunity for a bold municipal response to open the door to a more active position on development projects.<h1>How will the MDC strengthen the role of the City? </h1>The strategic mandate of the development corporation separates the roles of City staff as part of the MDC from their typical responsibilities. This split reduces any potential conflict between the statutory responsibility as the development approval authority and its role in proposing new developments. This separation of applicant and approval authority is increasingly recognized as a best practice in municipal governance. It allows Council members to put their democratic mandate from their constituents first and hold applications put forward by the MDC to the same standard as those put forward by any other entity. It also allows the same review process for applications by relevant City staff. At the same time, the MDC&rsquo;s actions are determined by the priorities of Council and staff, increasing alignment between the applicant and approval body by increasing alignment in the interpretation of land use and zoning policies. Thus, the MDC&#39;s process of submitting applications and working through approvals with the City can be collaborative and efficient while retaining the democratic elements of consultation and the due diligence of the review process. Fundamentally, creating the MDC acknowledges the untapped value within the scope of traditional municipal responsibilities and operations. Record high land and housing valuations in southern Ontario have allowed municipalities to unlock this value in various ways. Faced with challenges on multiple fronts, Ontario municipalities must be innovative in applying various potential solutions. By strategically leveraging underutilized municipal assets, MDCs can catalyze sustainable urban growth and contribute to the community&#39;s well-being.<h1>How can you participate?</h1><h2> Public Information Session</h2>A public information session will be held where you can learn about the mandate of the Municipal Development Corporation, understand the goals of the City of St. Catharines, ask questions and share your thoughts. This is an open house-style event, please drop in. Location: City Hall, 50 Church Street, 3rd Floor, Atrium Room<p style='margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:16px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;margin:0cm;background:white; border-box;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;'> Date: Monday, May 6, 2024<p style='margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:16px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;margin:0cm;background:white; border-box;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;'> Time: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.<p style='margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:16px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;margin:0cm;background:white; border-box;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;'> <h2> Comments and Questions</h2>Staff welcome all comments and questions. Please use the question-and-answer tool found below to share any input or ask questions and a City staff member will respond.<h2> Written Feedback</h2>Comments can also be dropped off or mailed to City Hall: Municipal Development Corporation Liaison, Economic Development<p style='margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:16px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;margin:0cm;background:white; border-box;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;'> 50 Church Street, PO Box 3012<p style='margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:16px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;margin:0cm;background:white; border-box;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;'> St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2

Municipal Development Corporation

Have your say on the Downtown Heritage Conservation District Study Survey before May 21, 2024. 

Downtown Heritage Conservation District Study

A Fairview Park Community Vision Public Information Centre occurred on April 3, 2024. Find out more:

Fairview Park Community Vision 

<img src="https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/ehq-production-canada/9431e021c04f8e4b0df90350fe21cd095d984a90/original/1674662084/12e7fefc92090498b1c2efb850a051f3_OntarioStCorridorSecondaryPlanStudy_PlanFuture_EngageHeader.jpg?1674662084" style="width: 1106px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The City is launching a land-use study of the Ontario Street corridor from the QEW in the north to Welland Avenue in the south, leading into the downtown core. Watch our short video to learn more about the secondary plan study.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KHF4q21B840?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> <h1> Status Updates </h1>May 2024The Ontario Street Corridor Secondary Plan workplan has been delayed. This pause will allow Planning staff to temporarily re-direct and focus efforts on supporting the City&rsquo;s Housing Accelerator Fund commitments and other strategic priorities, such as the Community Improvement Plan review, the Official Plan update, GO Station Major Transportation Station Area zoning implementation, Port Dalhousie Secondary Plan zoning implementation, and on-going Provincial conformity exercises.The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP) has provided their Certificate of Analysis for the December 2023 sampling undertaking which demonstrates that abatement actions to reduce and control discharge of PCB contaminated stormwater from the site has been successful. Staff will report back to Council in Q2 2025 with an update on project status and next steps.<h2>June 2023</h2><h2>View our <a href="https://campaignlp.constantcontact.com/em/1103755398091/19580084-653b-437b-94ea-af8c2a5b7316" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">June 2023 Newsletter</a></h2><h1> Background</h1>In May 2017, driven by the closure of the long-standing auto manufacturing use at 282 and 285 Ontario Street (referred to by many as the former GM lands), Council directed staff to evaluate alternative use permissions on those lands for future residential and mixed-use development. Most of the existing buildings on the properties have now been removed, and it is now a 20-hectare (50-acre) brownfield re-development site in the middle of the City.Reflecting the historical use of the lands, the properties have long been designated employment in the City&rsquo;s Official Plan. Changing use permissions requires an amendment to the Official Plan.Based on a 2019 city-wide land needs assessment (LNA) City Council and the Region of Niagara approved an amendment to the City of St. Catharines&rsquo; Official Plan &mdash; <a href="https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/news/redesignation-of-ontario-street-property-approved.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Official Plan Amendment 26 (OPA 26)</a> &mdash; to re-designate the lands at 282 and 285 Ontario Street in 2021.Among other matters, OPA 26:<ul><li>re-designates the lands at 282 and 285 Ontario Street for future residential and mixed-use development opportunities</li><li>requires that the subject lands are to be planned for future development through the creation and approval of a secondary plan</li></ul>The LNA and OPA 26 represent the completion of the first two key planning components necessary to plan for future alternative uses on the subject lands. The next step is to undertake a secondary plan study to more precisely identify and evaluate land use opportunities, permissions, policies, and implementation strategies to guide future development; and the creation of a secondary plan for the subject lands.<h2> Secondary Plan Study</h2>On May 30, 2022, Council endorsed terms of reference to undertake the Ontario Street Corridor Secondary Plan Study. The study terms of reference, included in the Important Documents section on this page, identifies study area boundaries and key elements of the study, including context, planning framework, guiding principles and objectives, study management, public engagement, deliverables, and timeline. It is estimated that the study will take approximately two and a half years to complete.<h2> Community Engagement</h2>The historical use of the study lands has helped shape the economic, social, cultural and environmental fabric of the city, and the future use of the lands will also do so for generations to come. The study cannot just be looked at in isolation of the immediate area and must also be evaluated from community and city-wide perspectives. Neighbourhood and community-wide public engagement, consultation and input are critical components in the success of the study. The project team welcomes and encourages any and all public review and input into the study exercise and development of a recommended secondary plan.A survey is currently open to seek public input following an in-person public open house that took place on Feb. 7. The display boards from the meeting can be viewed under the &quot;Important Documents&quot; tab on the right side of the page. Should you want to <a class="fr-strong" href="mailto: ontariostreetstudy@stcatharines.ca">email the study team</a> directly, <a class="fr-strong" href="https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/planning-and-development/resources/Documents/Ontario-Street-Corridor-Study/OntarioStCorridorSecondaryPlan_QuestionHandout.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here are the questions to consider</a>.The City will also continue to accept any general questions or feedback via EngageSTC, with the question-and-answer feature below, or contact one of the project team members listed on the right.<h2> Neighbourhood Advisory Committee</h2>The City is looking for interested members of the public to get involved in the Study by applying to become part of the Neighbourhood Advisory Committee.The Neighbourhood Advisory Committee will be established to help guide, review and provide input into Study components. The composition of the Committee will be localized to the Study Area and area of influence, and will include the following:<ul><li>One to two landowner representatives from the Ontario Street north corridor, being the portion of the Study Area located north of Carlton Street.</li><li>One to two landowner representatives from the Ontario Street south corridor, being the portion of the Study Area located south of Pleasant Avenue.</li><li>Three to four residents of the area bounded by Twelve Mile Creek, the QEW, Geneva Street and Welland Avenue, including one representative from each of the Haig and Fitzgerald Neighbourhood Associations.</li><li>Two St. Patrick&#39;s Ward 4 Councillors.</li></ul>The role of the Committee is to speak and provide input on behalf of landowner and resident interests in the study area, and area of influence, and engage in the review and evaluation of study components. The Neighbourhood Advisory Committee is expected to meet with the Project Team on a quarterly or as-needed basis.For more information on how to apply, please visit the project website: <a href="https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/council-and-administration/ontario-street-corridor-secondary-plan-neighbourhood-advisory-committee.aspx">Ontario Street Corridor Secondary Plan Neighbourhood Advisory Committee - St. Catharines (stcatharines.ca)</a>

Ontario Street Corridor Secondary Plan Study

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