Liv Communities’ Northern Reach Development will bring $1.5 billion in construction activity to Welland and lead to homes being built for more than 7,000 people on 62 hectares of land alongside the Welland Recreational Canal.
LIV Developments land development directors Andrew Mulder and Sam Badawi will appear before city council Tuesday to talk about the project and what it means to Welland.
In March, the city reached an agreement to sell the land to the Burlington-based company — 2.53 hectares in Welland and 8.95 hectares in Thorold, which the city purchased more than a decade ago — which runs north from Woodlawn Road to almost Merritt Road.
Chief administrative officer Steve Zorbas has previously said the sale price won’t be made public until the deal is closed.
Mulder and Badawi said the closing date is expected to be in December.
In addition to the homes, the company proposes a mixed-use commercial destination, three hectares of parks and improved pedestrian connectivity from existing neighbourhoods to the waterfront.
In June 2022, Liv Communities said it would build a bridge from Merritt Island over the canal to an area behind Seaway Mall.
Mulder’s and Badawi’s presentation, contained in council’s agenda package, said the project, with construction expected to start in 2024, will support local jobs in plumbing, carpentry, electrical services, trucking, landscaping and more.
Erosion and sediment controls, such as silt fences, have been placed around the site. Other work, such as grading design for the land, storm channels to meet Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) water conveyance, site plan residential applications and the concept for the bridge are underway.
Council’s meeting starts at 5:45 p.m. with an in-camera portion, followed by the open session at 7 p.m. It can be viewed via livestream at www.welland.ca/Council/LiveStream.asp or in person at city hall.
Dave Johnson is a St. Catharines-based reporter for the Welland Tribune. Follow him on Twitter: @DaveJTheTrib