Redevelopment of the Windsor & Hantsport Railway Co. lands in Wolfville could have businesses and new residents making tracks for the Valley town.
“We have a tremendous opportunity here,” said David Hovell, executive director of the Wolfville Business Development Corp., in an interview Wednesday.
“Existing commercial development space (in Wolfville) is restricted,” he said. “There are not too many greenfields.”
On Tuesday, railway company CEO Bob Schmidt and Wolfville architect Vincent den Hartog hosted a well-attended open house and public information session in Wolfville that provided the community with conceptual ideas of how the rail lands that run through the town’s commercial core might be developed.
Suggested development opportunities included new commercial retail and professional services spaces, downtown housing opportunities, an enhanced walking trail, passive transportation links and green spaces.
Schmidt said the development plan, which would require a rail abandonment process and rezoning to go forward, was an attempt to take an underutilized asset and turn it into something that would benefit the community and his business.
The U.S. native, who first came to Nova Scotia in 1992 and maintains a home in Windsor, said the railway hasn’t hauled freight through Wolfville since 2009, due mainly to the demise of the local gypsum industry.
“It seemed ideal to do an urban infill project,” he said, suggesting that development could encompass six or seven blocks parallel to Main Street that might include commercial and residential spaces, as well as an inn and a library expansion.
Schmidt said the plan, if it went forward, would be done in stages and might retain a rail right-of-way in the event economic conditions change.
Hovell said the information session was an opportunity to ask the public what it thought might be done with the railway lands, which he said haven’t been used to haul freight since 2008-2009.
One of the suggested development possibilities was ground-floor office space with attached living space above it, Hovell said.
“You could go to the office but work at home,” he said.
Hovell said the vibrancy of communities depends on having people living in their downtown cores, and the development of the railway lands, while a long-term proposition could help meet that need.
“Wolfville is recognized as a destination for wine and locally produced food,” he said. “This is a real opportunity to grow the community.”
Famous for its fertile farmland, the Wolfville area is also home to several award winning wineries, including Benjamin Bridge Vineyards, Gaspereau Vineyards, Blomidon Estate Winery, Luckett Vineyards, L’Acadie Vineyards, Muir Murray Estate Winery, Domaine De Grand Pre and Avondale Sky Winery.
The development corporation, which is funded by local businesses, said encouraging more commercial development in Wolfville would ease the current burden on residential taxpayers.
“Development opportunities like this do not come along very often and it offers local governments the chance to continue to deliver services important to residents and business owners in a more sustainable way,” said Hovell.
