Greenwich-Mohawk Project
Greenwich-Mohawk Brownfield Redevelopment Project
The Greenwich-Mohawk Brownfield Site is a 50-acre brownfield site located in the Southeast area of Brantford. The site is a land assembly of 3 properties municipally known as 22 Mohawk Street (7.5 acres), 66 Mohawk Street (15.9 acres), and 347 Greenwich Street (28.3 acres). The site is bisected by the Toronto, Hamilton, and Buffalo (TH & B) Railway Spur line. All three properties are owned by the City of Brantford.
Once considered the heart of Canada’s farm manufacturing industry, the brownfield area boasted thriving industries such as Massey-Harris, Massey-Ferguson, Cockshutt-Plow Company, and the Adams Wagon Factories. These industries have since vacated the property and today, the site sits in a largely abandoned state. All of the buildings on 22 Mohawk Street have been demolished. At 66 Mohawk Street, the only remaining buildings are the former office/warehouse and timekeeper’s buildings for the Cockshutt Plow Company, which have been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. On 347 Greenwich Street, all buildings have been vacated except for one that is occupied by the Canadian Military Heritage Museum.
As part of the City’s brownfield initiative, the remediation and redevelopment of the Greenwich-Mohawk brownfield site was identified as a priority for municipal investment to initiate private sector interest. In 2002, the City commissioned the “Greenwich-Mohawk Streets Brownfields Sites Remediation Study”, which examined the opportunities and constraints of the property in its existing state. The study was approved by Council in 2004 and has since guided the City in all of its actions carried out on the site.
Throughout the property acquisition process, the City worked to remove barriers to development on the site. This included eliminating the existing liens and tax arrears on the property, demolishing unsafe buildings, as well as removing debris, combustible materials, and underground storage tanks. Additionally, the City has carried out further environmental and structural investigations in a number of areas throughout the site.
As part of its Five-year Official Plan review programme, the City examined the Greenwich-Mohawk site, and proposed policy specific to these lands. In 2007, the City of Brantford Council approved Official Plan amendment (OPA) 125, which addressed a range of items including proposed policy for the Greenwich-Mohawk site. The proposed policy re-designated the lands from "General Industrial" to a land use designation that permits residential, commercial, open space, and cultural uses. This re-designation was accompanied by a justification study completed as part of the review process. The Provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved OPA 125 in late 2008; however, the entire amendment was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. At this time, the Appeal remains outstanding (January 2010).
The City has obtained financial support in the amount of $12 million from the Federal Government and $5 million from the Province of Ontario for the redevelopment of the lands. The City has a Brownfield Sites Community Improvement Plan in place and a Brownfields Financial Tax Incentive Program that can provide financial assistance towards the redevelopment of the lands.
In 2009 a Request for Proposal process was launched to seek qualified developers to work with the City to redevelop the Greenwich-Mohawk Brownfield Sites according to the new land-use designation. Terrasan Corporation, a Toronto-based company with Brantford ties, submitted their proposal. Their presentation was well-received by the public at a public meeting held on May 28, 2009, with citizens expressing both their excitement, as well as offering a few more of their ideas. Subsequently, the City of Brantford has selected the Terrasan Coproration as the successful applicant, and in the coming months, the City will enter into a development agreement with Terrasan. Following this step, Terrasan will finalize their remediation strategy and begin cleaning up the site in 2010.