Metrolinx makes its biggest Hamilton LRT property purchase so far

Metrolinx has made its most major purchase yet for Hamilton light rail transit (LRT) — six hectares in the west end for a maintenance and storage facility.

The transit agency and McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) announced Tuesday that Metrolinx is buying the 14.5-acre parcel for LRT operations.

The purchase was part of a multi-party deal that will also see MIP buy 606 Aberdeen, the former home of Westinghouse's engineering offices. The new space will be an "innovation landmark" for the MIP, says a joint media release.

Metrolinx has always identified the property it just bought as the ideal place for an LRT facility.

The purchase comes mere days after the province gave Metrolinx the nod to start buying property for LRT again. 

The province has already agreed to spend $1 billion to build LRT. But there was a recent seven-month pause after the new Doug Ford PC government came into power.

Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek visited Hamilton last week and said property acquisition can resume. 

The joint office between Metrolinx and the city needs to buy 90 full properties to make LRT happen. It has purchased 56 so far. Then there are as many as 400 partial property acquisitions left to do.