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Amid a flurry of development and transit investment happening across the GTHA, Hamilton is experiencing a renaissance of its own, and the future is looking up for the east end neighbourhood of Stoney Creek. Hot on the heels of two major pieces of infrastructure currently in the works for Stoney Creek, several high-density developments are proposed in the area, including Parkway Plaza, a multi-tower proposal from SmartLiving, SmartCentres REIT’s wholly owned residential brand. Located at 200 Centennial Parkway North on the southeast corner with Barton Street, the proposed multi-phased master plan will have four mixed-use towers and two mid-rise buildings containing a combined total of 1,150 residential units. SmartLiving is introducing the first phase of the development, which will see two towers of 15 and 20 storeys atop an integrated 6-storey podium with a total of 520 residential units built on the southwest side of the site.
The site is ideally located halfway between two future transit nodes, both roughly 800 metres away. To the south, the new Hamilton LRT will terminate at the Eastgate LRT station, providing easy access to downtown Hamilton and McMaster University. To the north, the upcoming Confederation GO station will provide a new rail link from Stoney Creek to downtown Toronto and beyond. Both of these transit projects are fuelling development along the Centennial Parkway corridor, and Parkway Plaza will be the first redevelopment proposal out of the gate.
The 13-acre property is currently home to an existing retail plaza, which includes Food Basics as the anchor tenant. The development proposal from SmartLiving will only see the southern 6 acres redeveloped, with no plans to touch the existing retail or surface parking on the northern half of the site.
The Parkway Plaza development proposal features a significant amount of retail at grade, with a total of more than 14,000 ft² across the first and third phase buildings. True to SmartCentres’ roots and one of the guiding development principals, retail is essential for building a mixed-use community and is at the core of the Parkway Plaza proposal.
The first phase proposes a total of 520 residential units in a variety of sizes ranging from approximately 450 ft² to 1,200 ft². The buildings are proposed to host a wide range of amenities, including a gym, party room, lounge, co-working space, and large outdoor terrace complete with barbecues, seating, and covered areas. The development is planning to have a mix of rental and/or condos based on market demand.
Designed by Burlington-based Chamberlain Architects, the buildings are crafted to fit within their surrounding context. The massing is organized to be sensitive to the low-rise residential neighbourhoods to the south and west, while the building heights are consistent with the mid-century slab apartment towers to the north and east. Two-storey townhouses will occupy the ground floors along the border with the adjacent low-rise housing to maintain an approachable residential character. The cladding is striated, with a heavier masonry material around the base, a lighter white panelized system in the middle portion, and glazing on the upper storeys, providing a material connection to the surrounding residential buildings while alleviating the massing on the upper levels.
Jon McGinn, Executive Vice President at Chamberlain Architects, spoke of the design process for Parkway Plaza: “On the design side, this has been an interesting exercise in balancing the existing infrastructure, context, and surrounding influences. We feel as a team with SmartCentres, we have come up with a timely design that relates well to the evolving community along with creating a staple project for the neighbourhood. With a mix of traditional materials and more modern massing, we believe this project will be a long-standing cornerstone in the community.”
At ground level, the development will feature a robust public realm in the form of significant POPS space throughout the development. The exact area and design of the POPS has not yet been finalized, but SmartCentres intends to provide generous planting and landscaped areas, walking paths, bike paths, and seating.
The project intends to leverage its proximity to transit, schools, and retail all within the immediate vicinity. SmartCentres strives to establish well designed, connected, pedestrian-friendly communities, and the Parkway Plaza site has all the right ingredients to make this happen.
The Parkway Plaza development is currently seeking rezoning approval at the City of Hamilton, and we will keep you updated as it moves through the planning process. In the meantime, you can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, SmartCentres REIT |
