A St. Catharines city councillor says there is an interested buyer in the former GM property on Ontario St.
Karrie Porter, who will be presenting a motion tonight to set aside funds to clean up the property, says there are negotiations underway with the interested party.
Porter tells CKTB's Tom McConnell there are other interested buyers as well.
Porter is hoping the deal can get done, saying residents living in the area deserve more than the abandoned property.
Bayshore bought the property from GM in 2014 for $12.5 million.
The land is now listed for sale for $27 million.
Concerned residents have formed a group calling for the city to take action to clean up the propety saying it's not only an eye sore, it's a safey concern.
Here is the motion she is presenting tonight:
Councillor Porter will present the following motion:
WHEREAS residents living around the former GM lands have expressed
serious concerns on the state of the GM lands, including property
standards and unknown environmental hazards; and
WHEREAS the City of St. Catharines has taken steps to prosecute the
current landowner over alleged infractions under the Building Code and
Fire Code Act, but these court proceedings may take months to resolve
and will not guarantee immediate action on issues on the site;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of St. Catharines allocate
$125,000 from the Civic Project Fund to create a GM-lands specific
budget to:
• Immediately hire an external legal firm to advise Council and staff
on the bylaws and provincial legislation, as well as legal
precedents and case law, that would allow for cleanup and
demolition of a privately-owned industrial site by the city and the
mechanisms available of recouping costs from the current
landowner through liens and other tools to ensure taxpayers are
protected;
• Contact the Canadian Brownfield Network and ask for an expert
to provide a presentation to Council and the public on best
practices for brownfield management and remediation for
municipalities;
• Engage a security company on a month-to-month contract to
keep people out of the site;
• Request an inspection and repair of the fencing on the site that
was put up under a previous Emergency Order under the Building
Code Act and in a manner that would allow the city to recover
costs;
• Cover the cost of registration of two Councillors, staff, and a
member of the City’s Green Advisory Committee to attend the
Canadian Brownfield Network conference in June 2020 in
Toronto, and to report back to Council on current best practices,
technology, financial tools, programs, and funding for brownfield
redevelopment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff contact the Ministry of the
Environment for records and a report on how and when conditions on
the site are monitored by their agency; and to request water testing and
air quality testing near residential neighbourhoods to be completed
within the next month.