[Sauga89]

Vive would likely be open to that but they will want something in return (more height). Parkland dedication is one of their sticking points, they've taken Kitchener to the OLT over parkland dedication fees.

Well, if the city re-routed Oakdale Ave, they could give Vive this flat piece of land on which to build in lieu of more height.

There also a land block someone has assembled on Valleyview Rd which doesn't seem to be part of this development. Perhaps the city could buy it from its current owner and offer it to Vive.

 

[Wigs]

I'm not super familiar with this area of St. Catharines, but it seems like this property and the adjacent section of Oakdale Ave act as a big barrier to accessing the parkland below from Queenston St.

I wonder if St. Catharines could close and/or re-route Oakdale Ave, and then work with the developer to create a new connection to the park.

View attachment 685287

New homes, new retail, and better access to an expanded park would make a quite an impact on the area I imagine.

In theory that could be done, but unless you got a citizen's group together to petition the city of St. Catharines for this and thousands of signatures, good luck.

Queenston and certain side streets are considered urban ghetto by most in St. Kitts and Niagara. I'm 6ft tall and close to 200lbs but I wouldn't be willingly walking down Queenston St. between the hours of 11pm-6am any night of the week.

Sex workers, drug addicts, street hustlers, petty theft criminals, and turf toughs ("likes to fight" guys) all walk up and down this stretch from St. Paul St heading East down Queenston. Occasionally you'll see the strung out person on probably fentanyl/mix in the "Fentanyl Fold" hunched over position where it looks like they are completely frozen in the worst position possible but never fall down.

I've seen sex workers on the north end of Oakdale Ave and surrounding side streets in broad daylight. Once one busty woman flashed me while driving up Oakdale Ave still wearing her bra but you could see she was advertising her gifted "goods"

I've seen every sort of less fortunate soul walk up and down Queenston unfortunately.

Like others have stated it will take a long term concerted community effort to make this street remotely desirable. Queenston is known for having one of the better Thai restaurants in Niagara, Chang Noi

Chang Noi's Authentic Thai Cuisine · 225 Queenston St, St. Catharines, ON L2P 2W9, Canada

âââââ · Thai restaurant

maps.app.goo.gl

The rough patch of Queenston is in stark contrast to the nicer looking homes further east on Queenston towards Hartzel Rd.

 

[Wigs]

LOL good luck with that in St Catharines.

Yeah I'd be shocked if even two of those towers came to fruition on this site. 9 towers, roughly 24 storeys each. What is this, Sim City?

 

[mjgrhm]

In theory that could be done, but unless you got a citizen's group together to petition the city of St. Catharines for this and thousands of signatures, good luck.

Queenston and certain side streets are considered urban ghetto by most in St. Kitts and Niagara. I'm 6ft tall and close to 200lbs but I wouldn't be willingly walking down Queenston St. between the hours of 11pm-6am any night of the week.

Sex workers, drug addicts, street hustlers, petty theft criminals, and turf toughs ("likes to fight" guys) all walk up and down this stretch from St. Paul St heading East down Queenston. Occasionally you'll see the strung out person on probably fentanyl/mix in the "Fentanyl Fold" hunched over position where it looks like they are completely frozen in the worst position possible but never fall down.

I've seen sex workers on the north end of Oakdale Ave and surrounding side streets in broad daylight. Once one busty woman flashed me while driving up Oakdale Ave still wearing her bra but you could see she was advertising her gifted "goods"

I've seen every sort of less fortunate soul walk up and down Queenston unfortunately.

Like others have stated it will take a long term concerted community effort to make this street remotely desirable. Queenston is known for having one of the better Thai restaurants in Niagara, Chang Noi

Chang Noi's Authentic Thai Cuisine · 225 Queenston St, St. Catharines, ON L2P 2W9, Canada

âââââ · Thai restaurant

maps.app.goo.gl

The rough patch of Queenston is in stark contrast to the nicer looking homes further east on Queenston towards Hartzel Rd.

Agree with everything @Wigs said here. Enough of the drug addicts and sex workers floating around. The city needs to use this land to generate some employment opportunities.

It would be better used as a rehab facility or homeless shelter than 9 towers full of struggling low-income rentals. Absolutely absurd.

Or build an indoor recreational facility that attracts people to actually come to this area. We lost the Jack Gatecliff arena with no replacement. Give me indoor soccer fields, a YMCA, a downtown facility for Brock University or Niagara College. Partner with the Niagara Ice Dogs for crying out loud. There's plenty of money in Niagara, we shouldn't have these sketchy dangerous areas.

 

[Wigs]

I'm fine with it getting developed, but make it a mixed income development. Rent levels tied to a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI).


Napkin plan, quick idea:
10 percent units (30-50% median income)
10-15 percent units (60-80% median income)
Around 75 percent full market rate.

Or some kind of combination where you're not clustering all poorer folks together, exacerbating the impoverished feeling of Queenston St.

No more than say 1-2 high-rises, 1 midrise, and a mix of other, townhouses, stacked townhouses, semi-detached housing. Make landscaping: trees, bushes, flower baskets a priority. You don't need a huge green space that might go unused, as there's a city park right below: Richard Pierpoint Park (formerly known as Centennial Gardens (it used to have a sweet totem pole), now is known for frisbee/disc golf, small community garden, and walking trail around Dick's Creek-tributary of 12 Mile Creek.