Developers are asking the City of St. Catharines to approve Official Plan and zoning changes that would clear the way for a mixed-use development of 785 residential units in three apartment towers of 21 to 24 storeys at 8 Gale Crescent.
According to a City of St. Catharines notice, the Planning and Building Services Department declared the applications complete on October 22, 2026 under sections 22 (6.1) and 34 (10.4) of the Planning Act.
The applicant is seeking an amendment to the city's Official Plan and a rezoning to permit the proposed density on the site, which currently carries a Mixed Medium High Density Residential / Commercial designation of 60 to 198 units per hectare and is zoned Medium Density Mixed Use (M1).
What is being proposed
The development would consist of three apartment buildings. Two of the towers would be linked by a single-storey podium containing a combined 1,165 square metres of ground-floor commercial space. The third building would stand on its own with no commercial space.
Parking would be provided in surface lots and in an underground parking structure connected to all three buildings.
The applicant has asked that the land be redesignated to Mixed High Density Residential Commercial in the Official Plan and rezoned to High Density Mixed Use with a special provision containing site-specific performance standards for the development.
How residents can have their say
An open house for public input is scheduled for Thursday, November 26, 2026 at 6 p.m. in the Burgoyne Woods Room on the third floor of City Hall at 50 Church Street. Attendees should use the James Street entrance. No decision will be made at the meeting, and a public meeting will be held at a later date with 20 days' notice.
Residents can attend the open house or submit written comments and questions by mail or email to Charlotte McEwan, senior planner, at cmcewan@stcatharines.ca, no later than November 26, 2026. All written submissions become part of the public record for the application.
Under the Planning Act, only the registered owner of the land, the applicant, the Minister, specified persons and public bodies may appeal a municipal decision or by-law to the Ontario Land Tribunal. The notice warns that people who do not make oral submissions at a public meeting or written submissions to council before the by-law is passed are not entitled to appeal, and may not be added as a party to an appeal hearing unless the tribunal finds reasonable grounds.
Residents who want to be notified of the city's decision on the proposed amendments must make a written request to the City of St. Catharines Legal and Clerk Services/City Clerk's Division at City Hall, 50 Church Street, P.O. Box 3012, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 7C2.
Application materials are available for review at stcatharines.ca/development and at the Planning and Building Services Department at City Hall. McEwan can also be reached by phone at 905-680-7175, through the city's TTY line at 905-688-4TTY (4889), or by email. The applications are filed under File No. 26 112777 OP and 26 112778 ZA.
