An 800-acre redevelopment site on the Hamilton harbourfront has been dubbed Steelport to reflect the city’s industrial heritage and the developer’s vision that it will be serve as a foundry for a major business and intermodal transportation hub. Slate Asset Management’s newly unveiled masterplan for the lands acquired from Stelco Inc. last year includes rejuvenation of the underused port on Lake Ontario, up to 12 million square feet of employment space and a network of public spaces.

“Steelport reflects our commitment to raising the bar for industrial redevelopment,” says Blair Welch, one of Slate’s founding partners.

Stelco continues to be a tenant on the lands, where the new owners foresee an influx of new manufacturers and logistics centres. Steelport offers up key transportation routes and modes with on-site rail service, direct access to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, connections to Ontario’s highway system and close proximity to the border with the United States and international airports in Hamilton and Toronto.

The developers point to the potential for district energy and renewable power generation, and they have committed to the reuse and recycling of materials from the demolition of existing buildings on the site. As envisioned, the lands, which have been closed to public access for more than 100 years, will be reintegrated with the surrounding city via municipal roads and trails that will also re-establish access to the waterfront.

“Reimagining these lands will require a forward-thinking design philosophy, vast amounts of investment and extensive collaboration,” maintains Brady Welch, founding partner at Slate. “We look forward to partnering with the City of Hamilton, the Province, and the federal government to ensure we can realize the full potential of this iconic site in a way that will create value for all its stakeholders for decades to come.”