September 1, 1999
To:Scarborough Community Council
From:Ted Tyndorf
Director of Community Planning, East District
Subject:PRELIMINARY EVALUATION REPORT
Official Plan Amendment Application SC-P1999009
Zoning By-law Amendment Application SC-Z1999035
Draft Plan of Subdivision Application SC-T1999012
McAsphalt Industries Ltd. and Rouge River Business Park Limited
8800 Sheppard Avenue East
Lots 6-8, Concessions 2-3
Rouge Employment District
Scarborough Malvern
Purpose:
This report provides a preliminary evaluation of an application to redesignate 58 hectare (143 acres) encompassing the
Rouge River Business Park and McAsphalt plant, as well as additional lands not owned by these companies on the north
side of Sheppard Avenue east of Conlins Road, from General Industrial Uses with High Performance Standards to provide
for approximately 1600 residential units and commercial uses.
The proposed amendment would remove these and abutting lands on the south side of Sheppard Avenue from the Rouge
Employment District and transfer them to the Rouge Community.
Rezoning and draft plan of subdivision applications, affecting the applicants' lands, have also been submitted.
Financial Implications:
Although there are no immediate financial implications for the City, the residential uses now proposed would likely result
in a much less favourable net cost/revenue financial impact on the City in the future.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that City Council:
(1)refuse the application by McAsphalt Industries Limited and Rouge River Business Park Limited to revise the
boundaries of the Rouge Employment District Secondary Plan and to replace the existing General Industrial Uses with
High Performance Standards with designations which will provide for residential and mixed commercial and residential
uses;
(2)refuse the applications for rezoning and for draft plan of subdivision for the owners' lands to implement the proposed
development; and
(3)instruct the City Solicitor to oppose the proposal by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Regions of
York and Durham for a policy providing for a potential realignment of Morningside Avenue through the subject lands.
Background:
Land Use Issues:
The lands owned by the Rouge River Business Park Limited comprise approximately 58 hectares (143 acres). An industrial
plan of subdivision was registered in February 1996 as Registered Plan No. 66M-2279. The abutting lands to the west
owned by McAsphalt Industries Limited are used for a hot mix asphalt plant, a ready mix concrete operation and a liquid
asphalt storage facility (comprising approximately 8 hectares (20 acres). A land-locked parcel of 2 hectares (5 acres) owned
by a Mr. Regan is proposed for redesignation but is not included in the rezoning or subdivision applications.
According to the owner, since draft approval was given for the Rouge River Business Park in 1994, McAsphalt has
diligently pursued marketing the subdivision for industrial use but to no avail. In 1996 McAsphalt constructed an 8 hectare
(20 acres) executive golf facility as a temporary use to assist in the marketing effort. The only interests that have been
expressed have been directed almost exclusively towards uses other than industrial, for a major retail and entertainment
complex or for a mixed use residential community.
McAsphalt commissioned consultants to analyse the underlying soil substructure support for the industrial and for
alternative uses. Their analysis reports instability of the existing fill material and costly environmental remediation
requirements. According to the owner, remediation costs are so significant as to render the development of the property
uneconomic and unfeasible for industrial uses. Development can only be economically supported with uses that require
reduced remediation costs and command higher values in the market place, namely residential and retail uses. The location
characteristics of the property are not considered attractive to major retail or office use.
The proposal is for 948 single, semi-detached and street townhouse units in addition to 8.8 hectares (22 acres) of
"residential mixed uses" which could result in residential development at up to 100units per hectare (40 units per acre) as
well as retail commercial uses. The owner submits that residential uses can be fully supported for this location and the
proposed new residential commercial uses can be integrated as a new neighbourhood into the existing Rouge Community
to the south and east.
A 10 metre (33 foot) wide land dedication for a trail adjacent to the Rouge Valley was previously identified and transferred
to the municipality as part of the registration of the industrial plan of subdivision. Financial obligations to provide capital
improvements to the trail are to be carried forward into a new residential subdivision agreement. An additional 20 metre
(66 foot) setback from the trail, zoned Open Space, would also remain. The new plan proposes inclusion of the City-owned
road allowances which were created by the draft plan, as well as a small City-owned block on Sheppard Avenue. The
City-owned Tyrell landfill site is proposed as open space; it is presently designated for industrial uses.
The area covered by this application includes other lands not owned by the applicant, south of Sheppard Avenue. Although
no specific redesignation is being requested for these lands, the entire area is proposed to be removed from the Rouge
Employment District and added to the Rouge Community.
Environmental Issues:
The consultant reports do not delineate areas within the site that have been previously studied and/or remediated. Soil and
groundwater conditions are defined for only 6 sample sites, none of which represent areas currently in industrial use or
where the deepest fill has been placed. The results provided indicate heavy metal and industrial solvent contamination at
some sample sites. Fly ash is also reported. The reports comment that the ash could be relocated to the street alignments
and/or mixed with concrete. Staff are not aware of any local street development where such practices have been approved
and implemented. Specific approval from City Transportation and Water and Wastewater Divisions would have to be
acquired for this practice.
The eastern edge of the proposed area is termed "Open Space". This area is either on, or adjacent to the former Tyrell
Metro landfill and a privately owned and operated site. The inclusion of these sites as open space or potential parkland is
premature pending communication with the owners with respect to site conditions and public safety.
The residential use soil and groundwater criteria are more stringent than the currently zoned industrial use criteria. The City
typically requires a Phase I and Phase II Environmental Audit report to be submitted with development applications, to
verify that the site conditions satisfy the 1997 Ministry of Environment Guideline for Use at Contaminated Sites in
Ontario. Changing the land use from known industrial to residential would also require that the applicant provide a Record
of Site Condition (RSC) (1997 MOE) for the specific development site.
The existing plan for this area includes a stormwater pond which was sized and designed to provide water quality
protection/improvement to meet the MNR fisheries requirements for the receiving water (Rouge River). Even though the
proposed residential use may use different criteria (resulting in a potential reduction in calculated size), the current fisheries
concerns have not been reduced and the new City focus on stormwater management may result in increased requirements if
the pond issue is reopened.
Transportation Issues:
Part of the lands south of Sheppard Avenue are owned by the Ministry of Transportation and designated Special Study
Area. These lands were acquired by the Province in anticipation of the East Metro Transportation Corridor (EMTC) being
constructed in this alignment. Although the EMTC as originally conceived is now unlikely to be built, these lands still
could potentially provide an alignment for an inter-regional road from Highway 401 to Highway 407 and the Markham
by-pass approximately in the alignment of the disused McAsphalt rail spur and Morningside Avenue through Morningside
Heights.
City planning and legal staff are involved in ongoing negotiations with the Province and with other interested parties,
particularly York Region, to reach a settlement on the outstanding OMB appeal of Official Plan Amendment 722. The
purpose of OPA 722 is to delete all references to the EMTC from the Scarborough Official Plan. (The EMTC is not shown
on the Scarborough Official Plan Roads Plan. Sections of the alignment are, however, designated for Transportation Uses
in several of the Secondary Plans.) A pre-hearing conference is scheduled for October 1999 to deal with OPA 722 and a
related matter, the North-East Roads Study (OPA 990).
As part of the settlement agreement for Morningside Heights, the need for an alignment of an arterial road connection
through Morningside Heights and north to Steeles Avenue is to be determined by a future environmental assessment .
The potential alignment of this road south of Finch Avenue to Sheppard Avenue would likely run through the western part
of the McAsphalt property.
The solicitor for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has requested that the Official Plan Amendment for the
subject lands contain a policy similar to that approved by the OMB in OPA 974 for Morningside Heights. This provision
would provide for a potential realignment of Morningside Avenue through the plant site, subject to an environmental
assessment to be submitted for approval
by December 31, 2005 (or terms of reference submitted by December 31, 2004). This position is supported by the Regions
of York and Durham.
The City Solicitor is seeking Council's direction on whether to continue opposing such a road through this area.
The City of Toronto is not committed to be a proponent of this arterial road for the purpose of the Environmental
Assessment. Council, in fact, resolved at its meeting of July 8, 9 and 10, 1998, to oppose any road connection between
Highway 401 and the Markham By-pass.
Comments:
This is one of several proposals and applications to convert industrially designated these lands in this section to other uses.
To assist Council in assessing the implications of these proposals, Urban Planning and Development Policy and Research
staff and staff of the Economic Development Division were requested to provide an economic context. Their findings are
attached to this report.
According to the Economic Development Research Division: "The northeast part of the City has demonstrated very strong
employment growth throughout the last fifteen years. Even during the period from 1987 to 1996 when total manufacturing
fell from 314,000 to 195,000 across the City, this area showed an increase in both manufacturing employment and total
employment".
The Policy and Research analysis found that in each of the "boom", "bust" and "recovery" phases the City has experienced
between 1983 to 1998, the Tapscott/Marshalling Yards and Malvern/Neilson/Rouge employment areas have consistently
outperformed City averages, both in percentage and absolute terms.
The report concludes:
"These two areas are two of the more recently developed industrial areas in Toronto. They both offer excellent access to the
highway system; a factor which has become critical to manufacturing activities that are increasingly incorporating
just-in-time delivery systems into their production processes. Both areas exhibit a solid industrial employment base with
strong goods processing and product assembly sectors. The mix of employment uses, including significant industrial
related office employment and business services office activity, provides for the establishment of linkages and the out
sourcing of non core functions which are becoming necessary to the competitive firm. In general, these two areas have a
competitive advantage over other less well positioned industrial areas in that the characteristics of the new economic reality
seem to be manifest in these locations and evident in the activities of the businesses which are located there."
The financial analysis provided by the applicant assumes a price for industrial land averaging $194,000.00 per acre, and
furthermore assumes that this will not increase over time. This may be an unrealistically conservative assumption given the
increasing level of demand and possible reduction in supply.
The lands east of the plant were used for aggregate extraction in the 1960's and subsequently for fly ash disposal in the late
1960's and 1970's. McAsphalt purchased these lands in 1983. The environmental reports submitted by the owners in
support of the industrial subdivision in the early 1990's focussed on conditions at the margins of the property, particularly
near the Rouge Valley, and gave no indication of the problems now being raised.
Potential Benefits:
(1)the proposal would add to the available housing supply; and
(2)the proposed redesignation would provide for a land use with a greater economic return than the currently permitted
use. According to the owner, this is necessary to meet the costs of remediating a site which would otherwise remain
undeveloped.
Potential Concerns:
(1)the loss of 49 hectares (120 acres) of potential employment lands comes when there is evidence of a substantial uptake
of new employment sites in the employment districts in north-east Scarborough.
Given the past performance and potential of these employment areas, Council should be seriously concerned about the
implications of their loss to the City's reserve of employment land for future development.
(2)The environmental analysis of contaminants is based on a limited number of boreholes. Two of the six boreholes
found significant levels of contamination well in excess of acceptable standards. Further sampling would have to be
conducted at existing and new boreholes to delineate the extent of these contaminants over all of the proponent's lands
prior to any development approval being issued by the City.
(3)Residential use soil and groundwater criteria are more stringent than industrial criteria. Substantial additional
reporting will be required to demonstrate that these standards can be met.
(4)The applicants have not yet demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Works Department that fly ash can be relocated to
street alignments.
(5)The planning report presents no analysis on the availability or provision of facilities such as schools or community
centers, although the proposed could result in over 1600 new dwelling units. Toronto School Board staff have raised
concerns regarding school capacity. No new school site is proposed.
(6)The conceptual plan accompanying the application makes no provision for a possible north-south arterial road through
the area, although the most likely alignment connecting the Morningside extension through Morningside Heights to the
land now owned by MTO south of Sheppard Avenue would be through the plant site. (Council does not support this road,
but the Province continues to show strong interest in protecting this alignment.)
Conclusion:
The proposal represents a significant potential loss of future employment lands, at a time when there is demonstrably
strong uptake of sites in the north-east employment districts of the City.
The application would effectively reduce the total area lands designated for employment uses in the Rouge Employment
District by almost 40 percent and would reduce the vacant land supply within the District by a much higher percentage. If
approved, it would seriously impair the City's ability to provide needed employment lands in the long term.
This report also seeks further direction to the City Solicitor regarding the City position to be taken at the upcoming
pre-hearing conference on OPA 722 with respect to the potential of an arterial road through the area affected by the
application and the possibility of the applicant attempting to consolidate a hearing on an appeal on this application with the
hearing on OPA 722.
Contact Name:
David Beasley, MCIP, RPP
Scarborough Civic Centre
Telephone: (416) 396-7026
Fax: (416) 396-4265
E-mail: beasley@city.scarborough.on.ca
Ted Tyndorf, MCIP, RPP
Director of Community Planning, East District
DWB/TT/nk
ECONOMIC CONTEXT FOR DECISION-MAKING ON PLANNING APPLICATIONS IN THE NORTH-EAST
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS
Introduction
This report has been prepared to provide some economic context for consideration of recent applications to redesignate
industrial land in the East District. The report is based on work currently being undertaken as background research for the
new Official Plan. The development of a new official plan for the city provides an opportunity to develop industrial land
use policies which reflect new realities - both economic and governmental. The Industrial Employment Land Study
provides an overview of existing conditions and sets the stage for a critical review of the existing approach to the
regulation of industrial land across the entire city. This study is the first step in the development of a new approach to
industrial land for the City of Toronto which is to be realised in the official plan.
The area under study in the Industrial Employment Land Study includes most of the areas across the entire City which are,
or were until fairly recently, designated industrial. Combined these areas, identified on Map 1, account for fully 1/3 of the
total employment in the city (more than 400,000 jobs). While the number of jobs is significant and illustrates the
importance of these areas to the economic health of the city, indicators such as fluctuating total employment and changes in
the type of activities, suggest that a cautious consideration of the future of these areas is required.
Information concerning employment and establishments is available dating back to 1983. This information provides a
picture of employment change during a period of significant economic change in the city and the world. A review of
general economic trends has been conducted to provide a better understanding of the nature of contemporary industrial
change and how these changes impact on the demand for and use of industrial land in the city. From this analysis it is very
clear that there is a need to build on the successes of employment areas to provide employment opportunities for future
residents of the city while recognizing new economic realities.
This report summarises a number of important economic trends which affect the demand for and use of industrial land in
Toronto. The summary is followed by a general overview of employment change and a more detailed look at employment
change in a couple of industrial areas in the East District. Some concluding remarks concerning the changing nature of the
economy and the potential role of these industrial areas to the economic health of the city are made in the last section.
A New Economic Reality
The Toronto region economy has undergone significant and fundamental changes during the past twenty years. Some of the
more significant economic forces which are changing the nature of demand for industrial land include the liberalization of
trade, the emerging service sector, a severe recession, technological advances and significant industrial restructuring. A
quick overview of each of these trends sketches out some of the important characteristics of the new economic reality.
The Liberalization of Trade
The emergence of a global economy is largely the result of the liberalization of trade. With the liberalization of financial
markets in most industrialized countries and a reduction in barriers to trade, the notion of a global marketplace has come
closer to reality. The future of manufacturing activity in Toronto is directly related to the ability of existing and future
manufacturers to compete in the emerging global market. The globalization of markets is one of the defining characteristics
of the new economic reality.
The Emerging Service Sector
There was tremendous growth in service sector employment in Toronto during the later part of the 1980s. While a
considerable amount of the growth in service sector employment disappeared during the recession there have been
fundamental changes in the structure of the economy which point to the increasing importance of the service sector to the
long term economic health of the city. There is a strong link between the goods producing and service sectors and the
interdependencies between these two are a central characteristic of the new economic structure.
A Severe Recession
The recession which began in 1989 may be the most severe recession on record to hit the Toronto area. It was longer than
most, lasting from 1989 to 1994; it was deeper than most, employment in Toronto decreased by almost 200,000 jobs from
1,356,900 in 1989 to 1,169,000 in 1994; and the recovery has been much more gradual than most, total employment did
not change much between 1994 and 1996 during a largely "jobless recovery". To a restructuring industrial sector which had
seen very little employment growth throughout the 1980's such a severe recession only exacerbated problems and
contributed significant employment losses.
Technological Advances
New and emerging technologies have a tremendous impact on products and the production process. Perhaps the most
important technological advancement from the perspective of the manufacturing sector has been the increasing use of
computerized production processes. Computerized production systems have the ability to utilize the same equipment to
produce a number of different items by reprogramming the machinery. The introduction of flexible automation has helped
improve the competitiveness of the manufacturing activities which adopt such systems.
The introduction of flexible automation production systems requires an increase in the knowledge and skills of the machine
operator. This translates into a need for a more highly skilled labour force than required for assembly line manufacturing.
In the short term there may be a reduction in the total level of employment and an increase in the amount of output per
employee as labour is replaced by an investment in capital. In the long term the implications include the development of a
highly skilled and more adaptable work force, an ongoing need for training facilities which could be closely linked to the
universities and colleges, and a leading edge, competitive and thriving manufacturing sector.
Industrial Restructuring
The response from many manufacturing activities to the changing economic climate has been to initiate a fundamental
re-organization of their businesses. Increasingly manufacturing activities have adopted new organizational models bringing
distinct functions such as research and development, production and marketing together in one location. There has also
been a tendency towards focussing on the business they do best (core competencies) and entering into agreements with
other companies to provide the necessary input into the production process. Combined with the out sourcing of
non-production related functions such as accounting, payroll and facility management there has been a significant increase
in the amount of interaction or linkages between firms.
The increase in interactions between companies has increased the need to be located in close proximity to suppliers and
also increased the demand for easily accessible and reasonably efficient transportation infrastructure. A production system
in which firms are increasingly networked also contributes to a new "social economy" which is best developed through face
to face contact with related firms choosing to locate relatively closely to one another. The need for proximity is often
referred to as "clustering" and is one of the defining characteristics of the new economic reality.
Summary
Combined these economic forces have contributed to a new economic reality, the characteristics of which should set the
stage for employment policies in the new Official Plan. The combined and cumulative effects of these trends on the
magnitude and composition of local employment are evident in a review of employment trends that follows.
Employment Trends
Boom, Bust and Recovery
Three distinct periods of employment change have occurred since 1983: "The Boom, 1983-1989", "The Bust, 1989-1994"
and "The Recovery, Post 1994".
The Boom was a time of significant employment growth in the city. Following the recession of the early 1980's, city-wide
annual employment growth averaged about four percent. This increase in employment was largely the result of a rapidly
emerging service sector. Employment increases in a restructuring manufacturing sector were modest while total
employment in industrial areas increased largely as a result of increasing office sector employment.
The Bust resulted in unprecedented employment losses in Toronto. The severest recession on record resulted in a decrease
in total employment of almost 200,000 and a decrease in manufacturing and warehousing employment of near 90,000.
The Recovery has been rather modest, characterized by little, if any, job growth between 1994 and 1996. Since 1996 there
has been real employment growth particularly in the office and manufacturing and warehousing sectors.
Manufacturing and Warehousing in Industrial Areas
The 7.5 percent increase in employment in manufacturing and warehousing activities between 1983 and 1989 was
considerably lower than the 22 percent increase in total employment experienced during the same period. The slow growth
may be largely attributed to industrial restructuring in the goods processing and product assembly sectors in which
employment levels changed by 2.6 and -2.6 percent respectively during that period. While the general economic outlook
was very positive manufacturing activities were making fundamental changes to their businesses in response to changes in
the global market.
Between 1989 and 1994, the continued effects of industrial restructuring combined with the impact of the recession
resulting in a decrease in employment of more than 30 percent; more than twice the 14 percent reduction in total
employment for the City as a whole. Employment levels stabilized in 1996 and since then the manufacturing sector appears
to be recovering quite well. The 9.3 percent increase in employment is almost four times as great as the 2.6 percent
increase in office employment and more than twice the 4 percent increase in retail employment.
Office Activities in Industrial Areas
Office employment exhibited strong growth during the economic upturn between 1983 to 1989. Increasing by almost 40
percent it outpaced total employment growth by a margin of two to one. Much of this increase was driven by the significant
increase in business services employment.
The recession took a considerable toll on the office sector. Overall, office employment decreased by 10 percent between
1989 and 1994. This drop was largely the result of the loss of more than 13,000 industrial related office jobs during that
time.
While recent office employment growth in business and technical services and associations has been considerable (30, 45
and 58 percent respectively) some activities such as finance, insurance, real estate and trade and personal services appear to
be restructuring and/or feeling the lingering effects of the recession.
Retail and Service Employment in Industrial Areas
Employment in the retail and service sectors in industrial areas mirrors trends in total employment at the City level. Strong
employment growth around 20 percent between 1983 and 1989 was followed by a sharp 10 percent reduction during the
recession. A modest recovery has seen employment levels increase between 4 and 7 percent since 1996.
Summary
These employment trends provide an overview of changing economic conditions in Toronto since 1983. Recent
employment growth in manufacturing and warehousing activities would appear to validate suggestions made in 1996 that
there is a positive outlook for industrial activity. The overall improvement in employment levels masks the fact that not all
areas in the city are experiencing the same level of growth. The development of area specific employment profiles provides
for the exploration of any differences between employment areas.
Area Employment Profiles
To explore the differences between employment areas across the city the industrial lands under review were grouped
together to form a manageable number of areas for analysis. Fifteen districts were identified based upon such
characteristics as the age the area was developed, location (central, inner suburb, outer suburb) and transportation
orientation.
Applications to redesignate industrial land to residential have been made for properties in the Tapscott/Marshalling Yard
and the Scarborough 401 Corridor areas (see Map 2). The following provides an overview of employment trends in these
areas in relation to employment trends across all industrial areas.
Tapscott/Marshalling Yard
During the boom, employment levels in the Tapscott/Marshalling Yard Area more than doubled. Total employment
increased at an average annual rate of 18 percent while manufacturing and warehousing employment increased at an annual
average rate of 22 percent (see Tables 1 and 2). These growth rates were considerably higher than the city wide annual
averages of 4 percent for total employment and 0.5 percent for manufacturing and warehousing.
Table 1
Average Annual Total Employment Growth
(percent)
|
Tapscott
Marshalling
Yards |
Scarborough Highway
401 Corridor |
Industrial
Employment
Lands |
City of Toronto
|
| "The Boom" |
17.9 |
4.6 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
| "The Bust" |
-1.6 |
-1.5 |
-4.0 |
-2.8 |
| "The Recovery" |
4.3 |
1.7 |
1.4 |
0.6 |
source: City of Toronto, Annual Employment Survey, 1983-1998.
Table 2
Average Annual Manufacturing and Warehousing Employment Growth
(percent)
|
Tapscott
Marshalling
Yards |
Scarborough Highway
401 Corridor |
Industrial
Employment
Lands |
City of Toronto |
| "The Boom" |
22 |
6.6 |
1.3 |
0.2 |
| "The Bust" |
-1.0 |
-5.3 |
-6.5 |
-6.8 |
| "The Recovery" |
5.1 |
3.5 |
2.3 |
2.2 |
source: City of Toronto, Annual Employment Survey, 1983-1998.
During the recession, employment levels in the area dropped marginally, total employment decreased at an annual average of 1.6 percent while manufacturing decreased at an annual average of 1 percent. These were the lowest decreases of any industrial area in the city.
Since 1994, the area has experienced above average growth with total employment increasing at an annual average of 4. percent and manufacturing at an average of 5.1 percent. These compare to city wide average growth rates of .6 percent and 2.2 percent for total and manufacturing employment respectively.
Currently there are more than 28,000 jobs in the Tapscott/Marshalling Yard Employment Districts; almost 15,000 of these are manufacturing and warehousing. The area exhibits a healthy mix of employment activity and has consistently exhibited above average employment growth.
Scarborough Highway 401 Corridor
The Scarborough Highway 401 Corridor has experienced similar growth patterns as the Tapscott Marshalling Yards area but not nearly as much absolute growth. Employment growth rates were higher than the city average during the boom years and decreases were less than the city average during the recession. Since 1996, total employment has increased at an average annual rate of 1.7percent and manufacturing and warehousing has increased at an average annual rate of 3.5 percent. Currently there are approximately 30,000 jobs in the corridor; almost 12,000 of which are manufacturing and warehousing. In comparison to city wide averages the Scarborough Highway 401 Corridor has consistently experienced slightly better than average employment growth.
Concluding Remarks
Within the context of economic changes identified in this review, it is not surprising that these two areas have consistently outperformed the city wide averages. These two areas are two of the more recently developed industrial areas in Toronto. They both offer excellent access to the highway system; a factor which has become critical to manufacturing activities that are increasingly incorporating just-in-time delivery systems into their production processes. Both areas exhibit a solid industrial employment base with strong goods processing and product assembly sectors. The mix of employment uses, including significant industrial related office employment and business services office activity, provides for the establishment of linkages and the out sourcing of non core functions which are becoming necessary
to the competitive firm. In general, these two areas have a competitive advantage over other less well positioned industrial areas in that the characteristics of the new economic reality seem to be manifest in these locations and evident in the activities of the businesses which are located there.
EMPLOYMENT-RELATED CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN THE NORTHEAST INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS (WARD 18)
The chart below highlights many of the projects where the Office of Economic Development was able to provide assistance over the past five years. In some cases, the projects are still active so the names of the companies have been removed from the table.
It is the opinion of the Office of Economic Development that a strong level of industrial construction activity will continue into the foreseeable future.
