St. Catharines city staff will be looking into the creation of a municipal land development corporation.
Staff will be hiring consulting services to explore the function and structure of the potential corporation that would oversee strategies to develop or sell city owned lands.
Similar groups have been formed in places like Calgary where the corporation guides some development within the city to meet the needs of the area, such as tackling a lack of affordable housing.
Councillor Sal Sorrento put forward an amendment to not have council hire the consulting services, stating he didn't believe the city needed a municipal land development corporation and didn't think it was the right time to undertake the study while the city is still dealing with a pandemic, but it was defeated 8 - 5.
Councillor Mat Siscoe called the idea not to hire the consulting services 'penny wise and pound foolish' saying, "I think we need to be taking steps - we're dealing with the GM property and this was really what crystallized it for me in conversation with Councillor Porter and with others. A municipal land development corporation may have given different avenues for the municipalities with respect to the GM property."
Council approved $50,000 from the Tax Rebate Stabilization Reserve to hire the consulting services.