Article by Natalie Paddon at The Hamilton Spectator
The designer behind theme parks such as Universal Studios Florida and Canada’s Wonderland is bringing its flair for entertainment to an $800-million reimagining of St. Elizabeth Village [Mills]. But don’t expect to see a roller-coaster winding through the Hamilton Mountain retirement community aimed at the 55-plus crowd.
Forrec has been hired to transform the 114-acre site into a themed lifestyle complex with a proposed town square, restaurants and shops at the corner of Garth Street and Rymal Road West that would be open to the public.
The idea to bring on an amusement park designer to revamp the gated community and give it a small-town atmosphere came to St. Elizabeth Village president Tony DiFruscio after South Mountain Inc. [Zest Communities] took over the property in 2014.
After working with residents to see how they could upgrade the more than 30-year-old village while preserving its “feel,” he said his mind turned to Disney’s BoardWalk, a quarter-mile district of shopping, dining and nightlife in Florida. “I really love the concept of theme parks,” said DiFruscio, who is also president of South Mountain Inc. “Not so much the … rides and things like that but those gathering areas.”
Plans for the revamp started to take shape, including new four-storey buildings and remodeled townhouses in the residential portion of the property and more attention drawn to natural amenities like ponds and walking trails. While it’s still in the planning stages, DiFruscio said $800 million is the “high level” estimate for the project, which includes costs to design and construct new buildings, renovate existing buildings and for site servicing and landscaping.
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