Mayor promotes incorporating housing into Hamilton shopping malls

Hamilton’s mayor envisions a different role for the city’s shopping malls.

Fred Eisenberger will present a motion during a committee meeting on Wednesday at city hall that would make it easier for developers to build apartments and condos within commercial developments.

Eisenberger says the move “could inject new life into shopping malls, which have been hit by the trend toward online shopping.”

At the same time, he believes it would “create new housing opportunities for seniors, down-sizing baby-boomers, and millennials” and “could also be a way to boost affordable housing.”

The mayor stresses that shopping malls are already fully serviced and on major public transit routes, adding that “whenever we can make better use of existing infrastructure, it is a win-win for everyone, particularly property taxpayers.”