Tara Jeffrey
The first project from Sarnia’s Waterfront Master Plan has received a green light.
Council accepted a $318,670 proposal from Brook McIlroy Inc. to design a revitalized Ferry Dock Hill on the St. Clair River shoreline.
The landmark Ferry Dock Hill building was demolished in 2020 after record high water levels damaged its foundations, and the gap in the shoreline remains untouched.
The law firm of George Murray Shipley Bell, which occupied the building for more than 60 years, moved to the former Bank of Montreal building on Christina Street.
The site was identified as the first major capital project from the Waterfront Master Plan (WMP) — which targets 3.5 kilometres of public waterfront stretching from Rainbow Park to the Point Lands.
The plan contains 34 projects costing $55 million over 15 years.
“This major gateway connecting the downtown to the waterfront is an ideal location to start implementation of the WMP,” a staff report noted.
The project includes redesigning Ferry Dock Hill to improve the connection between the downtown and waterfront, adding a gateway feature, a promenade on either side of Ferry dock Hill, shoreline upgrades, upgraded railway crossing and enhanced lighting.