Redevelopment of Hamilton’s Eastgate Square will include retail and housing
Published March 8, 2022 at 3:06 pm
Hamilton’s Eastgate Square could be getting a bigtime makeover that will turn the shopping plaza into a mixed-use development that includes both retail and housing.
The redevelopment proposal is being led by Harrison Equity Partners and Retail Ventures CND Inc. The official media release expressed the group’s intention to convert the 45-acre site “into the first new community of its kind in Hamilton.”
“This integrated development will tie in with existing and planned transportation infrastructure to convert (Eastgate Square) into an accessible and affordable destination.”
The developers emphasized the transit options available to the area, including the new Centennial GO train station and soon-to-be-built Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT) — which will connect Eastgate Square to McMaster University on the other side of the lower city.
“This is an exciting, visionary plan that will not only restore Eastgate Square to a regional destination for retail shopping but also transform it into a brand new thriving community,” said Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “This is a forward-reaching model of the future evolution of large retail complexes that will no doubt gain attention from across North America and it is exciting that it is happening here in our community.”
Videos
Built in 1973 for the residents of Stoney Creek and Hamilton’s east-end with Woolco, Eaton’s, and Robinson’s as its anchors, Eastgate Square has gone from being an indoor mall to a large commercial plaza with big box staples such as Fortino’s, Shoppers Drug Mart, LCBO, The Beer Store, Winners, Home Sense, SportChek, and Dollarama.
“The proposed redevelopment will maintain its market-leading position by adding a focused array of existing and new shops and services to cater to the local community’s daily needs with a focus on healthcare, wellness, pet care and similar core services inside a re-imagined and re-designed complex,” says Harrison Equity Partners. “Over time, the development will also provide the community with numerous and varied housing options.”
Harrison Equity Partners says the redevelopment aligns with the city’s plan to “intensify and develop higher-density neighbourhoods in urban areas.”
“This strategy reduces sprawl, helping to leave farmland intact while maximizing the utility of existing and planned transportation infrastructure,” the company added.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising