Welland’s local population will grow by more than 18,000 people by 2041, according to projections from city hall.
If so, that would change the number on signage at city limits to indicate approximately 72,000 residents, the municipality’s manager of development approvals Grant Munday said Friday.
In 2020, construction started on 181 units in the Rose City, and there are another 548 to 639 homes on lots that are part of registered subdivisions. That number can fluctuate, said Munday, as a result of developers being given “flexible zoning,” the ability to choose how single homes, semi-detached dwellings, and townhouses will be built on their lands.
In the draft approval process there are more than 450 “shovel-ready” homes that have been given initial approvals by council but still require other conditions to be met.
There are about 12 applications being worked on by the city that have gone through site plan and official plan zoning amendment processes. That equates to between 2,320 and 2,511 homes, including developments such as a 1,686-unit development proposed for Dain City by Empire Homes.
Tied up in appeals and reviews are another 1,475 homes, including a residential project at the former Hunter’s Pointe golf course as well as the Southwoods build on South Pelham Road.
Looking to the future, there is room for up to 9,000 homes on lands that have not yet received applications but would be suitable for residential development, said Munday.
“These are just estimates on what we think we could get out of those lands if they did come forward,” he said, of developers eyeing potential builds at sites like the former John Deere property, the Quaker and Rice roads area and land behind Seaway Mall.
Since 2016, there will be approximately 1,300 new residences by 2021, said Munday.
Growth that has taken place in the past four years exceeds what was projected back then.
“We’re well above where we anticipated to be at this point,” said Munday.
He did not have information on how many have been competed so far this year.
Asked where everyone is coming from, he said it’s a mix of folks from bigger cities, as well as people from elsewhere in Niagara who have decided to settle in Welland.
Amenities that can be enjoyed across the region seem to be a draw, too, he added.
“There’s definitely a lot of GTA people that have moved here, for a range of reasons,” he said.
One project making progress is Welland High Gardens on Denistoun Street near West Main Street.
The property was once home to Welland High School and sat vacant for years. The former school burned down in 2011 in a fire determined to be arson.
Its first phase is being finished now with 17 sold townhouses and a second phase that will create another 43 townhouses to the northwest between Denistoun Street and Prince Charles Drive will be the subject of an online open house for residents to participate Aug. 20.
There will be a statutory public hearing in front of council Sept. 8 for the phase that will see the creation of a private road network within the subdivision, said Munday.
The developer, Dennis Home Corp., is in the process of deciding how it wants to divide the lots, as well as finalizing a condominium corporation to move forward.
“It already has the zoning in place to allow the development. It’s more of a technical approval,” Munday said of what the project still needs from council.
“We looked at all of this in phase one,” he added.
A third phase is planned later to include an apartment building that could reach as high as eight storeys facing West Main Street.
