Proposed Planning Applications for Central Avenue Development Lands

Planning Services would like your comments on a proposed development plan for the area known as the Central Avenue Development Lands. 

The development plan includes a proposed Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Draft Plan of Subdivision.

Submit written comments, by emailing Planning Services no later than August 7th. Please quote the file number, PROJ-01-2026, in your submission. Copies of all correspondence will eventually be forwarded to City Council. Your comments will be considered in the evaluation of the application and used to prepare a recommendation to City Council.

Lands subject to the plan

The subject lands make up the project area for the Central Avenue Development Lands. The project area includes land between Central Avenue, Golf Links Road and Balmoral Street, as shown on this key map.

Currently existing on the lands are single detached houses on partial services (municipal water and private sewage systems) or full private services (private well and sewage systems), and two municipal baseball diamonds (Baseball Central). The remainder of the lands are vacant. Surrounding uses include low-rise urban residential to the west, vacant land and Lakehead University to the north, light industrial to the east, and Confederation College to the south across the Harbour Expressway. The subject lands are zoned “FD” – Future Development Zone and “CM” – Community Zone. They are designated as “Residential” and “Community” in the Official Plan.

The subject lands are not subject to any other application under the Planning Act at this time.

Purpose and effect of the plan

The purpose of the City-initiated Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Draft Plan of Subdivision is to establish the planning framework for the future development of a complete urban neighbourhood on the subject lands. The proposed amendments would redesignate and rezone land within the project area to permit a mix of residential, neighbourhood commercial, community, recreation, park, open space, and stormwater management uses. The proposed Draft Plan of Subdivision would update the existing City owned lot and road layout to create new public roads and pedestrian connections, blocks for municipal parkland, open space, trails, and stormwater management facilities, and development blocks for future residential and neighbourhood commercial development.

If approved, the effect of the applications would be to establish:

• New public street allowances
• New public parkland, open space, and stormwater management blocks zoned CM – Community Zone
• City-owned residential development blocks zoned UL – Urban Low-rise Zone and UM – Urban Mid-rise Zone
• City-owned neighbourhood commercial development blocks zoned NC – Neighbourhood Commercial Zone.
• Establish new land use designations and zoning for existing privately owned land within the project area
• Establish holding provisions required to support development

The plan would also support the extension of full urban municipal services into the area, including sanitary and storm sewers, watermains, roads, curbs, sidewalks, trails, street lighting, and boulevard improvements including street trees.

Most privately owned parcels are proposed to be zoned for low-rise residential development, while five privately owned parcels are proposed to be designated and zoned for neighbourhood commercial uses.

View the proposed Official Plan Map, Zoning Map, and Draft Plan of Subdivision. 

Additional information

Additional information and material about this application, including the proposed Official Plan Map, Zoning Map, and Draft Plan of Subdivision, is currently available on the City’s Get Involved website and upon request by emailing Planning Services. The final recommendation report to City Council will be available for viewing at a later date. You will receive an additional notice for a Public Meeting.

Copies of all comments will be forwarded to City Council.

If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Thunder Bay City Council on the proposed Zoning By-law and Official Plan Amendment and Draft Plan of Subdivision, you must submit a written request to Planning Services.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this notice or require accessible accommodations or materials, please contact Planning Services.

Notice of Collection

The City of Thunder Bay collects personal information for the purpose of administering consultation process for planning applications. This collection is authorized under the Planning Act, 1990, s. 17(15), 34, 45, 51 and 53. The information provided will be used to evaluate planning applications. Information collected, including your submission will form part of the public record. For more information about this collection of personal information, including access and collection, please contact Development Services at 111 Syndicate Ave S., 2nd Floor Civic Centre, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7C 5K4, Telephone: 807-62-BUILD (28453).

Right to appeal

Please note that the rights of third parties to appeal decisions to the Ontario Land Tribunal have been restricted under the Planning Act. Only the applicant, the Minister, specified persons, public bodies, and registered owners of lands to which the by-law, official plan amendment, or draft plan of subdivision apply and who make oral submissions at the public meeting or written submissions to the City before the by-law is passed, official plan amendment is adopted, or draft plan of subdivision is approved, will be able to appeal the decision of the City of Thunder Bay to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the City of Thunder Bay to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the City of Thunder Bay before the by-law is passed, official plan amendment is adopted, or draft plan of subdivision is approved, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to the City of Thunder Bay before the by-law is passed, official plan amendment is adopted, or draft plan of subdivision is approved, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.