1.4 acres of Stoney Creek residential sold to Mountainview Building Group

Alex Manojlovich presents Forge & Foster's Hamilton Commercial Real Estate Report Year in Review on January 25 at CoMotion on King at 115 King St. E. We encourage savvy investors and well-informed citizens alike to join us for valuable insights at this free public event. Refreshments provided. RSVP today!
Alex Manojlovich presents ‘Forge & Foster’s Hamilton Commercial Real Estate Report Year in Review’ on January 25 at CoMotion on King at 115 King St. E. We encourage savvy investors and well-informed citizens alike to join us for valuable insights at this free public event. Refreshments provided. RSVP today!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday.

The midpoint of December saw good volumes but no major translations.

The largest transaction occurred in the Niagara Region, where 46 acres of ICI land traded for $12 million (approximately $250,000/acre).

In Hamilton, the largest deal was for 1.4 acres of residential land in Stoney Creek, which was sold to Mountainview Building Group for $3.2 million ($2.2 million/acre).

In the news, The Spec looked into Hamilton’s urban boundary expansion, City Centre Mall has closed, and RBC reported a slow national housing market for December.

It will be interesting to see year-end data as we typically see larger transactions close, but it may be muted due to interest rates.

If you’re interested in learning what happened in Hamilton during 2022 and the trends heading into 2023, please join me at The Hamilton Commercial Real Estate Report: Year in Review at CoMotion on King at 115 King St. E. on January 25 at noon. RSVP today!

News Headlines

Hamilton’s forced urban boundary expansion happened quickly –  how quickly for new homes to follow
The Hamilton Spectator, December 22, 2022

New law threatens to strip development protection from Hamilton wetlands
The Hamilton Spectator, December 30, 2022

City Centre Mall closes its doors for future development
CBC News, December 31, 2022

Downtown fire leaves significant damage to King St property
CBC News, December 20, 2022

Infill development approved despite objections from residents, housing advocates 
The Record, December 20, 2022

Strategic Storage Trust acquires 132,000 sqft Cambridge facility 
SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. press release via BusinessWire, December 20, 2022

Housing Market stays quiet to end 2022
RBC Monthly Housing Market Update, December 15, 2022

Downtown Hamilton Site Purchased by Fengate

Alex Manojlovich presents Forge & Foster’s Hamilton Commercial Real Estate Report Year in Review on January 25 at CoMotion on King at 115 King St. E. We encourage savvy investors and well-informed citizens alike to join us for valuable insights at this free public event. Refreshments provided. RSVP today!

This week witnessed good transaction levels in Hamilton and Kitchener, with Niagara and Brantford winding down.

This week’s largest transaction took place in Kitchener, where the Waterloo Catholic District School Board purchased land from the Grand River Conservation Authority for approximately $12.7 million.

Also in KitchenerIN8 Developments purchased a downtown parcel for $10.3 million ($17.7 million/acre). IN8 Developments is currently working towards the City Centre Mall development in Hamilton.

In Hamilton, a similar transaction took place as Fengate Asset Management purchased 48 Ferguson Ave. S. for $7.5 million ($16.6 million/acre) for what appears to be a future development site.  A high value that usually represents some approvals have been attained, however, I’m personally unaware of any.

In the news, Hamilton councillors approved Upper James property rezoning, the Hamilton airport cargo business is flourishing, and the Province has removed 7,400 acres from the Greenbelt.

Happy holidays, everyone! The next newsletter will be on January 3. Subscribe today!

News Headlines

Council approved Upper James property zoning for 8 storeys
The Hamilton Spectator, December 13, 2022

City of Hamilton not opposing Dundas developer’s land tribunal appeal  
The Hamilton Spectator, December 13, 2022

Hamilton airport cargo business outpaces the rest of Canada
Canadian Aviation News, December 14, 2022

Mission Services aim to open new shelter early next year
The Hamilton Spectator, December 14, 2022

Hamilton e-scooter pilot to get rolling next spring
The Hamilton Spectator, December 20, 2022

Ontario government removes 7,400 acres from Greenbelt
The Globe & Mail, December 17, 2022

Shopify confirms it no longer intends to expand to new office development, The Well
The Toronto Star, December 14, 2022

Connolly Site

Connolly Site at 98 James Sold to Milborne Group

The number of transactions this week was about average, with Niagara seeing an increase in activity while Brantford was a no-show.

This week’s most exciting and expensive sale was at 98 James St. S. in downtown Hamilton. The Connolly Site sold for $24 million ($75 million/acre). It’s an astronomically high price, but it could make sense at an estimated value of $80/buildable sq. ft, although that’s still very high for Hamilton. Alternatively, the price could include some other form of value, like an approved site plan or pre-construction deposits.

The former James Street Baptist Church, constructed between 1878 and 1882, has had a tumultuous decade:

  • It was demolished in 2014, except for its historic stone facade, by developer Louie Santaguida for a planned $80-million, 30-storey condo development dubbed The Connolly.
  • That project was placed in receivership in 2017.
  • In 2018, it was sold to Hue Developments, which proposed a 31-storey tower with 315 units.
  • The buyer this time is Toronto’s Milborne Group. They bill themselves as Canada’s leading marketer of urban, master-planned, multi-phased communities. They’re affiliated with the 1 Jarvis development and the 75 James Condominiums, kitty-corner to 98 James St. S.
In the news this week beyond the Connolly, Lamb Developments has sold a 50% interest in 428 Main St. W. in Hamilton to local developer New Horizon Development Group for $2.25 million ($2.8 million/acre). Once the site of Zizzo’s Car Care & Mor (sic), 428 Main St. W. is now a vacant lot across from the Westgate on Main condo development by Matrix Development Group.

In the Niagara region, Starlight Investments has purchased a 75-unit multi-residential asset in Welland for $11 million (nearly $150,000/unit).

This week’s second-largest transaction was in Beamsville, where a grocery-anchored retail plaza sold for $15.1 million ($280/sq. ft).

In the news, Empire Homes has proposed 1,000 homes in Hagersville, Rentals.ca released their September rental report, and the former GM site in St. Catherines has been approved for high-density zoning.


News Headlines

Empire Homes proposes 1,000 homes on Hagersville quarry site
The Hamilton Spectator, September 13, 2022

Dispute over Land Back Lane injunction continues at court 
CBC News, September 13, 2022

September 2022 Rent Report
Rentals.ca, September 2022

St. Catharines high-density zoning approved for former GM site
The Standard, September 13, 2022

Redevelopment of Guelph parking lot approved
The Toronto Star, September 13, 2022

Waterloo residents fret as developer pushes for taller than permitted development
The Record, September 10, 2022

Monthly Housing Update
RBC, September 15, 2022

Housing inventory may reach crisis point in major Canadian cities
The Financial Post, September 12, 2022

Editorial: Canada’s population is booming and we aren’t building nearly enough
The Globe & Mail, September 17, 2022

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