The province reneges on the brow lands sale putting an affordable housing plan in jeopardy

Ontario municipal affairs and housing has cancelled a deal made by the previous government in which Mohawk College would buy a parcel of provincial land on the mountain brow and the city of Hamilton would use the purchase price for affordable housing.

The property known as the brow lands, owned by infrastructure Ontario, includes about 12 hectares and the former psychiatric hospital called Century Manor.

In May, a deal was announced in which Mohawk College would pay $9.5 million for the property and the city would use the money to build affordable housing at the site of the community housing building on York boulevard. Then, there was a change of government.

Today, Ontario municipal affairs and housing confirmed in a statement that deal has been cancelled.

“The previous government’s plans did not provide good value for taxpayers so we have decided to reconsider how to use the lands. We will take a different approach that gets the best value for taxpayers and supports affordable housing.”

Mountain area councillor Terry Whitehead says he’s disappointed.

“This is a revenue neutral proposition that solves a lot of issues. The only money generated is that $9.5 million, if the province is going to squeeze that I think it’s short sighted because it’s going to affordable housing.”

Mohawk College has written a letter to the city saying it is still interested it acquiring the brow lands. The college is bursting at the seams and the location directly across Fennell from the campus is the perfect location for the college expansion plans.

The college had planned to spend another $9 million restoring the historic but dilapidated Victorian Gothic Century Manor.