Welland in the News

Catholic students eye opportunities with housing development proposed for site of former Target store in Welland

January 25, 2022

Catholic students eye opportunities with housing development proposed for site of former Target store in Welland

image of construction

Signs at the Niagara Launch Centre: Powered by Niagara Catholic District School Board at Welland's Seaway Mall have been taken down. The centre has moved to another part of the mall as the former Target store is the site of a proposed housing development and will be torn down. DAVE JOHNSON / TORSTAR

Marco Magazzeni doesn’t see the loss of the Niagara Launch Centre in the former Target store at Welland’s Seaway Mall as a negative, but rather a positive.

“The kids are talking about it as a learning opportunity,” said Magazzeni, Niagara Catholic District School Board’s co-ordinator of experiential learning and community partnerships.

The launch centre — its full name is Niagara Launch Centre: Powered by Niagara Catholic District School Board — opened in the former Target store on the north side of the mall in 2017.

It had outgrown its space at the former Canadian Tire store on Niagara Street across the street from the mall where it started nearly seven years ago.

Idrakoth Ltd. is proposing to develop six hectares of land on the mall property, and the former Target store will be torn down as part of the project.

The developer is proposing 1,300 housing units with internal streets, parks, small-scale commercial uses and a mix of buildings including townhouses, two-unit dwellings and accessory dwelling units.

Apartment buildings at 16 and 22 storeys are proposed for the site.

Magazzeni said the hope is to partner with the developer and get students involved in the project from start to finish, including the municipal process for zoning and approvals, demolition of the old structure and possibly working on the site.

‹   PREVIOUS   |   NEXT   ›