A substantial payment is a clear signal that one of the largest projects by a single developer in the City of Welland’s history is in the works.
Two years ago, Burlington-based LIV Communities purchased just over 61.2 hectares of land owned by the City of Welland for $35 million. The purchase is in an instalment plan, with the developer recently making a $10.6 million payment.
The developer is proposing the Lock and Quay community, located at 1 Quaker Rd.
Included in the plans are building approximately 4,500 new residential units, a mixture of townhouses and mixed-use mid-rise condos.
The property runs almost two kilometres along the west side of the Welland Canal.
Of that parcel, 52.2 hectares of the land are in Welland and nine hectares are in Thorold. Also included in the project are plans for parkland space and a pedestrian crossing to Merritt Island. All components are expected to economically benefit the municipality and region.
“The development of the entirety of the subject lands is projected to be built out over the next 10 plus years. Local investment is anticipated to inject millions of dollars due to construction activity,” said City of Welland manager of development planning Taylor Meadows.
LIV applied for a $40 million grant for the project, but the request was denied.
“LIV applied for financial incentives under the city’s Brownfield Community Improvement Plan. One such incentive is the Brownfield Tax Increment Grant (TIG), which returns a portion of the increased municipal taxes generated by the redevelopment to the applicant in the form of a grant over a defined grant period,” said City of Welland policy planning supervisor Nicolas Aiello.
“The region has historically partnered with the city by contributing the regional tax portion of the TIG. The City of Welland approved LIV’s TIG application, with the city’s contribution capped at $40 million. The city subsequently requested that the region match this amount by approving an equivalent cap of $40 million for the regional portion of the TIG.”
However, at it its Aug. 28, 2025 meeting regional council decided not to act on the city’s request for regional participation in the TIG funding.
As the project moves forward, it’s completion is illustrated on LIV’s website as “featuring urban townhomes in a vibrant, amenity-rich community, Lock & Quay offers residents a unique lifestyle on the water. Lock & Quay is made up of four neighbourhoods, each with their own unique features and character.”
The communities are:
Quayside Village – in the heart of the development, featuring a pedestrian-friendly promenade to the water, shops and boutiques, farmers’ markets, street performances and waterfront dining.
North and South Quays – residential neighbourhoods offering a variety of urban townhomes, all connected to Quayside Village and the waterfront by walkways and trails.
Bridgeview Locks – a gateway connecting the Seaway Mall to the waterfront, residences and public parks.
In the heart of the development will be Quayside Park – a 12-kilometre stretch that runs along the length of the waterway with a pedestrian bridge linking the trails on the opposite side of the canal. The park will offer a multi-use field, playground, splash pad and a skateboard parkette.
The LIV build is to include key sustainability initiatives to reduce the impact on the natural environment and promote more efficient energy and water use.
“Pedestrian-friendly streets, building material selection, landscaping and urban design have all been carefully managed to mitigate the community’s environmental impact,” states the website.
According to Meadows, next steps currently in progress are an overall area development agreement, site plan control for block one and brownfield community improvement plan incentives.
Forthcoming are a draft plan of subdivision/condominium and site plan control application(s).
