Hamilton plans another shot at developing CN's waterfront land

A city councillor, an architect and other interested residents are among those who want to take another stab at getting CN to move some or all of its west harbour rail yard. 

The city is looking into setting up a task force that would look at the Stuart Street rail yard in Hamilton's west harbour. The ultimate goal is to see part of the yards developed into businesses and condos and remove another barrier between the city and its waterfront. 

Coun. Chad Collins, architect Bill Curran and others are behind the effort, which would be called the West Harbour Task Force. It would bring provincial, federal and local authorities together, as well as interested community members, said Collins, who represents Ward 5 in Red Hill.

"The rail yards are never going to go away," he said. But the city wants to look at the operational needs, and how to build "around or over" what's left.

"We've made several attempts over the last decade," he said. "We need both levels of government to assist."

CN would only issue a short statement about the matter on Wednesday, saying it has "no plans to sell the yard or portions of it." It also wouldn't discuss whether it planned to extend its lease with Genesee and Wyoming, a regional rail company that will manage the shunting yard until at least 2018.

"CN's Stuart Street Yard is an important rail car classification site for CN in serving Hamilton industry," spokesperson Mark Hallman said in an email. "CN has no plans to sell the yard or portions of it."

Years of history

The struggle surrounding the rail land dates back decades. The freight terminal and shunting yard have been there more than 40 years. In 1995, a joint study suggested the rail yard move to Aldershot for $100 million. There were also discussions about moving the yard to Burlington Street, which stalled.

But recent events have brought the rail yard's future back into focus. For one, U.S. Steel plans to sell lands on Piers 16, 17 and 18, which gives CN somewhere to move.

And in 2013, the city scored a waterfront victory years in the making. Its long-term lease with the Hamilton Port Authority for Piers 7 and 8 is ending early. The city plans stores, condos and other development, an expected game changer for Hamilton's image.

The city also has a new plan for the Barton and Tiffany area immediately south of the railyards— a blueprint that includes condos and commercial development around the new West Harbour GO station.

• Barton-Tiffany redevelopment plan gets green light from city
• Waterfront development to change image of Hamilton, councillor says

The city's planning committee voted on Wednesday to have staff report back on a possible task force. That includes extending the offer to CN, the province and the feds, and how to pay for a neighbourhood study on ways to use the land. Council will ratify the move on Friday.

Don't squander the chance

Curran wrote a letter backing up the idea. The architect with Thier + Curran and other interested residents already did a neighbourhood master plan and charrette for the area.

"We are very interested as neighbours to be involved in helping with any effort to relocate the railyard," he wrote.

The main CN rail line will stay, but the removal of the rail yard is becoming "more and more evident," he said.

"It is an opportunity that cannot be squandered or compromised by shortsightedness."

As for the port authority, it says that the idea of moving the Stuart Street yard has been "widely discussed" for "a long time," spokesperson Larisa Fenn said in an email.

But the idea is closely tied to the outcome of the U.S. Steel Canada CCAA process, and HPA can't comment on that, she said.