THUNDER BAY—The city is now in position to unlock the Central Avenue corridor for future development.
On Tuesday, the City of Thunder Bay obtained an additional $8.6 million through the province’s Housing-Enabling Core Servicing Stream.
Back in September of last year, the city received $10.4 million through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to extend water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
Aaron Ward, manager of the city's engineering division, said the overall cost of the project is $30 million, but without the approximately $19 million provided by the province, “the city by itself wouldn't have been able to unlock the potential of these lands."
“This will allow the Central Avenue corridor lands to come online with full urban servicing that includes the underground water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer systems, as well as, upgrades to the existing roads,” said Ward.
“Not a lot of people may realize this, but although there's a water main in the area, so there's city water there, the houses that are there are on septic fields. So right in the middle of the city, there is no sanitary sewer in place. And that's why this area is underdeveloped currently.”
“By allowing the new services to come in, both storm sewers and sanitary sewers, it unlocks the potential of that land to be provided on full urban servicing," added Ward.
The Central Avenue corridor project is also combined with the housing accelerator fund program where the city is looking to potentially have more than 1,260 new housing units to be online.
“We're looking to support all forms of development from affordable homes all the way to multi-unit rentals,” said Ward.
Central Avenue corridor is made up of 60 acres of municipal land and another 40 acres of private land.
“The city will be bringing our lands online for private development. This funding also allows the private lands to be developed, whether it's through additional units being added or some of the vacant lands that were landlocked now being accessed. There's potential for both public and private development,” said Ward.
He said the Central Avenue corridor will also have an active transportation system that includes both sidewalks and trail systems filling the gaps between the McIntyre River trail and the road network.
“What's great with this program is the incorporation of the active transportation and the trail system. It also includes funding for stormwater management. The city's had a focus the last few years to incorporating green infrastructure as well, so you're not just going to see just roads and pipes,” said Ward.
“There'll be new stormwater facilities and hopefully rain gardens and green infrastructure in the boulevards on the road as well.”
Greenspace will also include the Central Avenue baseball diamonds which Ward said “by bringing in housing into this area, there's already an established park space there.”
Baseball Central will remain where it is.
The city will begin construction later this year, with building permits becoming available by the end of the year. The city is expecting the completion of infrastructure in 2027, and road corridor improvements by 2028.
