Metrolinx restarts LRT demolitions and land deals for long-delayed transit project

Metrolinx has started knocking down more buildings - and knocking on doors to buy more land - for Hamilton's off-again, on-again light-rail transit line.

The planned Main-King corridor LRT was infamously cancelled over budget woes in 2019, but resurrected in May 2021 thanks to a $3.4-billion funding partnership between the province and federal government - both of which praised it as a shovel-ready" project.

News about progress on the 14-kilometre line has been relatively sparse since, with the provincial transit agency so far only willing to say major construction is not expected before 2024. A request for qualifications" for bidders expected last year has yet to go ahead and a city pitch to use excess project land for affordable housing remains up in the air.

But behind the scenes, the agency has restarted efforts to buy up to 30 more buildings needed to make room for the project, said Shane Rayman, a lawyer specializing in expropriation law who has clients on the LRT route. Metrolinx previously spent $80 million buying 60 properties for the first iteration of the project.

They are reaching out again ... (but) they are slow-playing it," said Rayman, who is also representing a city workers' union, CUPE 5167, in a $2.5-million lawsuit against Metrolinx over a failed project land negotiation along the route dating back to 2017.

Visible work is happening, too.

On the weekend, demolition crews starting tearing down one of the biggest buildings in the way of the train: a three-storey brick apartment building at the corner of Holton and King streets.

A notice to residents from ward councillor Nrinder Nann said the demolition should be done by the end of the month. One section of the King Street East sidewalk will be off-limits during construction.

That 20-plus unit apartment was among the earliest to have been emptied of tenants in 2018. It was also briefly eyed by advocates as a building that could be resurrected for emergency housing after the project was briefly cancelled in 2019.

City officials redirected project update questions Monday to Metrolinx, which said via email more information about a public project office and the procurement process will become available in the coming months.

More information may be available March 31, when the new council holds its first LRT subcommittee meeting.

Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com