The Locks Development

Please find information regarding The Locks Development below. Did we miss something? Let us know!

  General

Has the development been approved already?

Zoning for the project was conditionally approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) in 2022. The project design is based on settlement that was reached between the City, the property owner, and Port Dalhousie Conservancy. More information can be found here. Some revisions to the 2022 settlement have been agreed to by the three parties, with final approval still required from the OLT.

What stage of the Planning Approval Process is the applicant in?

The project is at the Site Plan Approval stage, which essentially means that staff and the applicant are ironing out technical details related to the overall site design and function. Following approval of the site plan agreement, the project can proceed to apply for building permits.

Can comments made today influence the overall design? Or has the settlement agreement already determined what the proposed development will look like?

The overall look and form of the development has already been approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal. The purpose of this consultation is primarily to share information about the upcoming project. Only finer details related to matters such as landscape design, engineering, lighting, and storefront design remain outstanding.

  Design

How many retail units will there be? What types of tenants are expected? 

The proposed development includes 8 commercial units. The tenants for these units have not been determined at this time. 

Are the central walkways between buildings publicly accessible? Who will maintain them?
 Yes, these spaces will be publicly accessible. The condo corporation will be responsible for maintaining the spaces.

Who will own Hogan's Alley once the Locks Development is completed? Will it remain City property or will Rankin own it?  
Rankin will own Hogan's Alley, though an easement will be created to allow for public access.  

Will Hogan's Alley have vehicular access in the future or will it be pedestrian access only?   
Hogan's Alley will have vehicular access, though it is not intended to be a main throughfare through the property. Buildings along Lakeport Road with rear access to the alley will be able to receive deliveries or for maintenance purposes.   

When will the construction materials be confirmed? Who decides that?

The proposed construction materials have been confirmed and their use is included within the Port Dalhousie Commercial Core and Harbour Area Heritage Conservation District Plan. The buildings will be clad primarily in brick.

  Heritage

Which heritage buildings will remain?

As part of the proposed development, the Austin House and Stanton Grocery buildings on Lock Street will be retained and restored. The Port Dalhousie Jail will be retained but moved to a new site near the entrance to the Lakeside Park Parking Lot. This will give it more prominence compared to its current location. 

What is happening to the Austin House Hotel and Stanton Grocery buildings on Lock Street? 

Both buildings are being retained and restored as part of the development and will host commercial uses. Specific uses have not yet been confirmed.

What is happening to the Port Dalhousie Jail?

The Port Dalhousie Jail will be relocated to a new site near the entrance to the Lakeside Park Parking lot. This will put the jail in a more prominent location and it will be supported by interpretation boards to better explain the Jail’s history. The City will take ownership of the building, but a proposed use has not been determined at this time. 

What is happening to Dalhousie House?

As part of the updated settlement agreement, Rankin will be responsible for improvements to Dalhousie House, including a Heritage Impact Assessment, service upgrades for water/electrical, washrooms installed, and installation of a new lift.

Have the future uses of the jailhouse and Dalhousie House been determined yet

No, the use for both of these buildings has not been determined at this time. 

  Parking

Many homeowners have more than one car. How many spaces per unit will the developer be providing? 

The proposal includes 341 resident spaces for 184 units. This is a ratio of 1.85 spaces per unit.

Will the parking overflow from the businesses and residential units be using the public/beach parking area? Or are there parking plans in place for dealing with the upcoming demands?

In addition to the provided parking ratio of 1.85 spaces per unit, the proposed development includes 15 visitor parking spaces and 20 commercial parking spaces. Overflow parking, if required, may use the public parking lot at Lakeside Park. 

Is there any public parking? Where is the parking access?

The proposed development includes 15 visitor spaces and 20 commercial spaces. The parking is underground and will be accessed from opposite the Lakeside Park Parking Lot. These parking spaces will be managed by the building owner.

  Traffic

What is the status of the Region’s Environmental Assessment for improvements to Regional Road 87 (Main Street, Lock Street and Lakeport Road)? Are any changes proposed to the bridge on Lakeport Road? 

The Region has put its work on Regional Road 87 on hold at this time. More information about the Region’s Environmental Assessment for Regional Road 87 can be found on the region’s website here. 

How will traffic flow around the site?
The EA for Regional Road 87 (Main Street and Lakeport Road) is currently on hold. Any potential changes to the existing road network have not been determined at this time. It is anticipated that the Privately Owned Public Space (“POPS”) network will provide better connections for pedestrians looking to reach Lakeside Park from Lock Street and vice versa. Two-way traffic conversion for all or part of the street network around the site may be considered to improve vehicle flow.

  Miscellaneous

Port Dalhousie has the unique asset of a world class rowing course that sees a lot of use in the spring and summer. Has consideration been given to this?

No adverse impacts on rowing facilities are anticipated.

How much of the beach parking lot will be closed off during The Locks construction period, and for how long? If this has not been decided yet, at what point during the planning process will it be decided? 

This is unknown at this time. The developer will be required to provide a construction management plan to identify their proposed strategy for matters such as materials and equipment storage and contractor parking. If part of Lakeside Park is proposed to be used for this function, additional City approvals will be needed.

I read in the Standard newspaper article that the Port Dalhousie Conservancy is supportive of these new revisions. Was there a letter signed between Rankin, the City and PDC and could it be shared with the community? 

The City of St Catharines, Rankin Construction, and the Port Dalhousie Conservancy undertook extensive mediation to reach a mutually agreeable settlement related to this project. The outcomes are summarized in the Ontario Land Tribunal Order, which can be viewed here.

How is the proposed development protected from potential flooding and water damage? 

These details will be addressed through the future building permit process, but it is acknowledged that much of the parking structure will be located beneath the water table.

When is construction anticipated? Will the project be phased? Where will staging take place? How will construction be managed?

Rankin does not have an anticipated construction start date at this time. All parties are still working through the planning process at this time. Rankin will be taking the project to market for sales before a construction start date is set. The project will be completed all at once, as the underground parking structure covers the entire site, and the common areas of the facility tie in with each other. 

When will units be available for purchase? What is the anticipated selling price? Will units be sold with parking spaces or is that an optional purchase?

Rankin has not set a sales launch date for the project at this time. All parties are currently working through the planning process. Any updates related to sales will be sent to those who registered on www.thelockscondos.ca. Rankin anticipates that selling prices will start in the $800’s/sf and go up from there depending on unit size, view and location. Each unit will come with a parking space with additional parking spaces available for purchase. 

Will the development be one condo corporation or many?

The development will be one condo corporation.

How will the owners along Hogan's Alley get access during construction? How will their buildings be protected?

The developer will be required to provide a construction management plan to identify their proposed construction staging and access plans.

The proposed development is expected to discharge sewer flows to the concrete sewer main on the Lakeside Park side of the building block.  This concrete sewer was installed in 1970 with the CSO tank and pumping station.  The typical life expectancy of concrete sewer mains is 75 years or more, if maintained. The capacity of the receiving sanitary sewer network has been analyzed and it has been determined that there is sufficient capacity for the development as proposed.

Watermain infrastructure on Lock Street was upgraded in 1994.  Watermain infrastructure upgrades on Lakeport Road and Main Street were completed in 2011.  These watermain upgrades included the use of PVC and HDPE piping material, which typically has a life expectancy of 100 years when used for potable water systems. The capacity of the local watermain network has been reviewed and it has been determined that there is sufficient flows to accommodate domestic and fire protection needs for the development as proposed.

Any future developments on the system will undergo a similar capacity assessment and any upgrades or mitigation required to meet future developments will be the responsible of those developers prior to proceeding with their proposed developments.