Ford government opens hospital brow lands to residential redevelopment and possible long-term-care facility

The Tory provincial government is opening valuable brow lands around Century Manor to residential redevelopment - and a possible long-term-care facility - after backing out of an earlier deal to sell the land to Mohawk College.

That earlier agreement, negotiated in 2018 by the previous Liberal government, would have used land sale proceeds to build affordable housing downtown. The college had planned to expand its campus onto the property, restore the historic-but-crumbling Century Manor and allow public access to the brow.

The city learned Thursday that provincial Housing Minister Steve Clark quietly issued a minister's zoning order that allows both institutional and residential development - think townhouses or apartments - on about 12 hectares of the former Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital lands bounded by Fennell Avenue, St. Joseph's Healthcare Centre and the brow.

Ward Coun. John-Paul Danko said Friday the unilateral" rezoning decision flies in the face of community planning and stokes resident fears of high-density" apartment or townhouse developments on the brow.

The notion that the province could unilaterally sell it off for residential development is a huge red flag for this community."

A letter from Clark to the city says the government's primary objective" is to add long-term-care capacity on the provincially owned former hospital lands, but it will also consider opportunities to enable housing."

A followup ministry email to The Spectator emphasized the provincial commitment to ensure more seniors get the quality care they deserve." The email did not specify if plans are afoot for private or public long-term-care on the site.

We look forward to working with the municipality to achieve this shared goal," the letter to the city reads.

But Mountain councillors Danko and Terry Whitehead both said Friday there was no consultation" with local politicians ahead of the abrupt zoning change - or the 2018 decision to renege on a planned sale of the land to Mohawk College that took nearly three years to negotiate.

In a statement, Mayor Fred Eisenberger said he welcomed a provincial move to develop the site, but it is our expectation that the site will be developed in accordance with the city's vision."

Whitehead, who helped broker the scuttled 2018 sale of the land to Mohawk College, said he and Danko are trying to set up a meeting with the minister. There was zero consultation ... I just don't get it," said the Ward 14 councillor.

In an emailed response, the housing ministry said the rare ministerial order - which the city cannot appeal - is part of our government's plan to get shovels in the ground faster on critical projects."

The email also noted the site has not been sold, no final decision" has been made about the future of the land and the zoning change does not necessarily preclude Mohawk's proposed plan.

The (order) in no way limits any future use of the lands, and in fact only expands the potential visions for the site," the ministry stated in the email.

Spokesperson Bill Steinburg said the rezoning comes as a surprise" to the college, which still views the property as a key element" in its growth plan. We hope there will be an opportunity for open consultation before any significant decisions are made about the future of those lands," he said.

Danko said the city and college's earlier proposal for the property would have guaranteed the rehabilitation of a crumbling heritage building in Century Manor.

The Victorian gothic building, built in 1884 as part of the Hamilton Asylum for the Insane, has a heritage designation but is falling apart. Heritage advocate Patricia Saunders previously accused the government of pursuing a demolition by neglect" policy for manor, which is now off-limits to the public for safety reasons.

The earlier proposal for the land would also have ensured some public access to parts of the brow lands, which is a big deal to the community," said Danko.

The ministry did not answer questions about the fate of heritage-designated Century Manor.

The original deal approved by the Liberals would have sold the land through the city to Mohawk, with the college promising to restore Century Manor. The province had agreed to invest sale proceeds of around $9.5 million into a planned mixed-income, 20-storey development on city-owned land at 191 York Blvd.

Without funding, that affordable housing project is now on hold.

Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com