With a proposed housing development that could see hundreds of new units built, Kingston’s west end is quickly becoming the city’s fastest-growing neighbourhood.
If approved, the large development proposed at the corner of Cataraqui Woods Drive and Centennial Drive would see two six-storey mixed-use buildings built, bringing a total of 430 new units to Kingston’s housing market.
Coun. Vincent Cinanni, who chairs the city’s planning committee, says he likes to see developers building upwards instead of outwards.
“Instead of sprawling — I find we have too much sprawl,” he told Global News this week.
“It’s good to build up in some areas to mix it up, especially in the west end.”
A city report recommends that the city’s planning committee approve the Cataraqui Woods Drive development at its Thursday meeting.
But the proposed development is far from all that’s happening in the west end.
With a new school in the Woodhaven subdivision, and highrise apartment buildings and single-family homes being built, the area is seeing an explosion in development.
“Definitely more building activity, I think, on the ground, visually, than you’ll probably see anywhere else in the city,” said Tim Park, who heads up planning with the city.
Park says there are a number of reasons why the west end is growing so quickly — it offers the chance to own a single-family home within city limits near plenty of amenities, but most importantly there’s room to build.
“It’s a combination of available sites, but also approvals that are already in place, and they’re actually coming to fruition now, and you’re seeing them,” Park said.
“But definitely, in terms of available land, the west end, compared to the rest of the city, probably has a greater volume of that than other places.”
Park believes that within the next few years, the west end could become one of the most heavily populated areas in the city.
And with all this space ready to be developed, the city is hopeful it could become a key place in making a dent in the housing crisis.