Tony DiFruscio described a completely different vibe on Saturday than the first time he led a “walk-through” on the former Exolon property 13 years ago.
“I had councillors say, ‘Are you crazy’?” he told ThoroldNews, joining his colleagues in a ribbon-cutting ceremony of a model home in phase 2 of the Beaverdams Road subdivision.
A partner at Downing Street, a Hamilton company that specializes in brownfield development, DiFruscio said, “It looked like a moonscape” after the Exolon factory vacated the premises, “so this is exciting, from where we started, to where we are today.”
“We’re thrilled to see homes sprouted on 60 acres of a former industrial site,” said Downing Street president and CIO Daniel Odorico.
Artisan Ridge—which will include a section of affordable housing units in phase 2—is being constructed in three phases, he added, with a total of 450 homes scheduled to be completed by 2022 or 2023.
At the ribbon-cutting, Mayor Terry Ugulini mused that “The homes are all brick; I like that, being Italian.”
“This shows what can happen on a brownfield site with a group working together,” said the mayor. “It’s great for the city of Thorold and the region of Niagara as a whole.”
