Planning and Economic Development budget presentation highlights strong city growth
HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton’s Planning and Economic Development (PED) Department presented their 2018 budget plan to the City of Hamilton’s General Issues Committee for consideration today.
According to General Manager, Jason Thorne, it was a “good news” budget that highlights several strong growth indicators.
Some highlights include over $1.3 billion in construction activity, with particularly notable growth in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors. The city also saw strong performance in the residential sector, including one of the highest years in over a decade for new multi-residential apartment units.
Outside of development and construction, Thorne also pointed to other encouraging economic indicators, including strong performance in the film and tourism sectors.
High levels of economic activity also translate into high workload levels. PED experienced near record-high levels for both building permit and development applications.
“Our team works very hard to make the city an attractive and desirable place to live, work and invest. And we are seeing these efforts pay off,” said Jason Thorne, General Manager of Planning and Economic Development.
Through the City’s Open for Business initiative, PED staff have introduced new streamlining and efficiency measures to facilitate development. The budget presentation noted successes from this initiative in improving timelines for business licences, zoning reviews and building permit applications.
Thorne also acknowledged what he called the “flipside” of Hamilton’s recent economic success; the growing community concerns about affordability and gentrification.
Highlights noted in the budget presentation include the City’s ongoing efforts related to financial incentives for affordable housing. The City is also looking to take advantage of new regulatory tools such as inclusionary zoning once they are put in place by the Province of Ontario.
Growth and Economic Development 2017 Highlights
- Over $1.3 billion in Building Permit construction value, the second highest level of development activity in the City’s history
- Over half a billion dollars in non-residential construction
- A record 1,265 development applications
- Just under 160,000 square metres of new commercial and industrial development, more than double over the previous year
- Over $12 million in direct spending from the film industry
- A record high number of visits to the City’s civic museums and historic sites
Open For Business Highlights
- A reduction of 200 days in the time taken to review zoning by-law amendment applications
- A reduction of between 10 and 20 days in the time taken to complete zoning verifications associated with development applications
- A reduction of over 400 days in the time taken to review subdivision applications
- A reduction of 37 days in the time taken to review business licenses