Growing up in Niagara, I have many fond memories of Port Dalhousie. Port Dalhousie, or Port, was always a destination. Lakeside Park, Lakeside Park Beach, the Pier, its Range Lighthouses and the Carousel, were all huge draws; not only for me and my family, but for fellow Niagrans, Ontarians and the rest of the world – especially when the Henley Regatta came to town. Port has also been home to some crowd-pleasing restaurants such as Murphy’s, Albert’s and the Port Mansion, and is still home to local favourites such as PIER 61 Bar & Grill, the Kilt and Clover and Rozie’s Breakfast Café to name a few.
However, times change, and the magic of Port Dalhousie seems to have gotten lost between the desire to change and the will to stay the same. The Port Mansion, whose balcony used to gaze onto the Park beckoning visitors to enjoy a cocktail or two on a hot summer afternoon has been lost to us for 6 years now. There are empty buildings where restaurants used to be. Existing business are determined yet need increased foot traffic. Entrepreneurs like Wolfgang Guembel, Jeff Mackie and Diane Olsen are a part of the start to a revitalization and have opened businesses in Port. The City needs to send a strong message that the support troops are coming – that St. Catharines is open for business!
If we do not build it, they will not come…
It is time for Port to venture forward into the future; to become the glorious destination that we ALL know it could be. It is time to start investing in the future, instead of holding onto the idealism of the past.
New development will only serve to bring Port out of its inertia and breathe new life into St. Catharines’ best kept secret.
.jpg "Port Dalhousie condo project on the beach at Lakeside Park")
New renderings are now available for the planned Port Dalhousie condo developments providing a vision of the future of this historic area. The Beaches at Port - 6-10 Dalhousie Avenue is now under construction and three developments have applications submitted to the City for consideration: Harbour Club Condos - 63 Lakeport Road, Port Dalhousie Legion - 57 Lakeport Road, and Union Waterfront - 16 Lock Street, which are set to include a variety of new mixed-use residential and commercial units.
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The Beaches at Port
6-10 Dalhousie Ave
Current Development Stage - Construction underway
Features
- Building Type: Residential
- Total Square Feet: 48,565
- Storeys: 6
- Units: 16 (Only 1 unit left for sale)
- Parking: Underground and surface parking, with a guest lot at street level.
- Cost: Low $700,000s
- Developer: Horizon Joint Venture
- Architect: Quartek Group Inc.
Harbour Club Condos
63 Lakeport Road
Current Development Stage - Site plan application submitted to the City.
Features
- Building Type: Residential & Commercial
- Total Square Feet: 188,217
- Storeys: 9
- Units: 145, 1-3 bedrooms available
- Parking: 183 spaces, underground and street level parking
- Developer: Port Dalhousie Harbour Club Ltd, Sheldon D Rosen - President
- Architect: OneSpace Unlimited Inc.
The Harbour Club Condos will truly be an innovative repurposing of the Lincoln Fabrics Building. Sheldon Rosen is working extensively with heritage experts to ensure the integrity of the development remains in tact. The building plan features a cafe, restaurant, gym, and live and work areas on the main floor with residential units above from the second to ninth.
Royal Port (Port Legion Building)
57 Lakeport Road
Current Development Stage - Site plan application submitted to the City.
Features
- Building Type: Residential
- Total Square Feet: 72,570
- Storeys: 8
- Units: 51, 1-2.5 bedrooms
- Parking: 94 spaces, underground parking (1-3 levels TBD)
- Developer: Rankin Construction
- Architect: Raimondo & Associates Architects Inc.
This particular site, which is adjacent to the Lincoln Fabrics Building, is also subject to heritage consideration due to the fact that the proposed building is located in the Port Dalhousie Heritage Conservation District. Contractors and landscapers have developed plans that include waterfront access and views for the public.
Union Waterfront
16 Lock Street
Current Development Stage - Site plan application submitted to the City.
Developer has appealed to the OMB prior to deadline of December 31, 2017.
Features
- Building Type: Residential
- Total Square Feet: 212,739
- Storeys: 14
- Units: 220, 1-3.5 bedrooms
- Parking: 258 spots, underground parking
- Cost: Units starting at $300,000
- Developer: Fortress Real Developments
- Architect: Kirkor Architect + Planners
Condo units for Union Waterfront range from 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom + den, 2 bedroom, 2 bedroom + den, 3 bedroom, and 3 bedroom + den. The building structure will incorporate some of the current heritage buildings that exist in the area. Part of the design includes condo suites with terraces that will overlook the waterfront, developed by landscape and heritage experts LandArt Design. The project will also include ground-level landscaped areas open to both residents and the public.
This potential luxury condo building would be constructed on a sloped embankment, meaning it would remain at the same height as the detached homes that surround it, providing a waterfront view for its residents without disrupting the view for others. Being on the waterfront, these condos would have immediate access to Lakeside Park and the public beach.
Lock Street Rebuild
The revitalization of Port Dalhousie extends further than the 4 major condo developments in Port Dalhousie- Lock Street is reinventing itself as well. The following stores and businesses have opened up recently in the area:
- Lock Street Brewing
- Balzac's Coffee Roasters
- Trysport Niagara
- Ausmosis- SUP | Surf | Apparel
- Acqua Restaurant and Bar
- Mackie’s Harbourfront Market
The Port Dalhousie Secondary Plan (Draft)
This plan outlines the heritage district of Port Dalhousie with proposed conservation efforts to ensure that the land around the new developments will remain protected, and that the nautical and historical elements of the area remain. It offers preparations for some of the larger issues that could come from these developments, including increased traffic, tourism concerns, and loss of waterfront view.
Some of conditions of the Secondary Plan include:
- Height restrictions vary from 3 stories to 8 stories. Site line views to the lake ;and harbour are being considered.
- Ground floor areas that will be used for commercial purposes are limited to 4,300 square feet.
- Buildings over 3 storeys must have a 3 metre stepback on all sides.
- Individual retail units must be no wider than 12 metres to maintain the streetscape character.
- All developments must provide public access to the waterfront that extends the full length of the harbour.
- Some areas on the east side of the harbour will be designated as open space and will be expanded in order to maintain tourist functions and activities.
- All new buildings must be spaced in a way that does not remove significant public space, including surface parking spaces.
A copy of the secondary plan can be found here.
