The Ontario Land Tribunal has conditionally approved the City of Kingston’s proposed tannery development, a major residential and commercial project planned for the city’s Inner Harbour.
The Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) ruling, released in August 2025 following a five-week hearing earlier in the year, clears the way for a scaled-down version of the development to proceed, but prohibits any alteration or construction within an on-site portion of a provincially significant wetland.
The plan to clean up Kingston’s largest brownfield site on the former Davis Tannery lands envisions a four-phased, mid-rise, mixed-use development with between 1,500 and 1,670 homes, at least 3,600 m² of commercial space, and new parkland along the waterfront.
The decision follows years of dispute over the 37-acre former industrial property along the Cataraqui River, which is contaminated by heavy metals from a tanning operation that ceased in the 1970s.
In September 2022, Kingston’s city council refused to approve the project under the Planning Act, citing concerns about ecological systems, natural heritage, water, and public safety. The developer appealed the refusal to the tribunal, while No Clearcuts Kingston (NCK), a local non-profit, was granted party status to oppose the plan with legal support from the Canadian Environmental Law Association.
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During hearings held in February and March 2024, expert witnesses for both the city and NCK argued that the proposed development would destroy part of the wetland and remove significant woodlands, with risks to groundwater, surface water, ecological receptors, and public health.
Remediation of the former Tannery lands, is required by provincial law to make the land safe for residential and parkland use. The work will involve a mixture of soil and groundwater removal, treatment methods, capping, barrier walls and long-term monitoring.
Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson welcomed the tribunal’s decision, calling the project “a major step forward for Kingston, bringing much needed housing to the urban core, and remediating the largest brownfield property in the city.”
The city has committed to hiring a qualified professional to review the hydrology and hydrogeology findings in the Environmental Site Assessment during the draft plan of the subdivision stage.
Several steps remain before construction can begin, including re-submission of the draft subdivision plan with technical details on infrastructure and shoreline protection, applications for site plan approval, and compliance with the city’s Brownfield Community Improvement Plan. Records of Site Condition will also be required to allow the shift from industrial to residential and parkland use.
