All call for Prudhomme’s developers

By Mike Williscraft
NewsNow

Prudhomme’s Landing should be a showcase, a pinnacle property exhibiting all the things which make Niagara one of the most desirable places to live in Canada, if not North America.

This is the belief of Town of Lincoln officials and today they launch a new direction to see that site achieve its potential.

A request for proposals has been issued with the goal of obtaining designs from consultants from far and wide which will include a comprehensive update to the existing Prudhomme’s Secondary Plan.

The reason is simple.

“Prudhomme’s is the largest parcel of undeveloped waterfront property from Toronto to Buffalo. There is a huge opportunity here,” says Lincoln CAO Mike Kirkopoulos.

“The Prudhomme’s Secondary Plan update is a strategic opportunity to plan for waterfront development that is characterized by its adjacency to the QEW and the stretch of undeveloped frontage and proximity to planned high-order transit networks. These features make the site a high-profile and highly visible location for a mixed-use, complete community, especially given the limited opportunities in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area for waterfront development along the Lake Ontario shoreline.”

The benefits and expected results of this process is an extensive list:

• Alignment of the policies of the Prudhomme’s Secondary Plan with Provincial, Regional and municipal planning policies, goals, and legislation, including growth management updates from Places to Grow and the Provincial Policy Statement;

• Development of a land use vision for the Prudhomme’s Secondary Plan Area, and determine the desired development pattern and appropriate balance of commercial, employment and residential land use designations;

• Leverage future “GO” station, tourism and economic potential of the QEW visibility and proximity, location along Lake Ontario, growth allocation and infrastructure to the fullest extent possible;

• Determine existing services and transportation infrastructure available in and around the study area and upgrades that may be required as a result of changes to the Secondary Plan;

• Appropriate design standards and infrastructure needed for the urbanization of North Service Road and other new streets;

• Updated urban design guidelines for the Prudhommes Secondary Plan that are reflective of the updated vision for the area and ensure great community design;

• Ensure that significant public views of Lake Ontario are maintained;

• Provide guidance for the provision of a high quality and varied public realm system that prioritizes the pedestrian experience;

• Ensure public access to and along the Lake Ontario shoreline, while maximizing the public utility of waterfront lands and integrating new development with the parkland system, and;

• Completion of implementation policies for development within the Prudhommes Secondary Plan Area.

The updates and overhaul of the Secondary Plan are needed for several reasons.

“The current Prudhommes Secondary Plan was developed and approved approximately 10 years ago, prior to the implementation of a number of important planning documents and initiatives (e.g. Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Places to Grow), Regional Official Plan conformity, etc.) whose policies speak to the formation and design of complete communities and dynamic urban places,” said Kirkopoulos.

“We now envision Prudhommes to contribute to the strong attraction potential for Niagara.”

The deadline for RFP submissions is set for May 5 at 2 p.m.