Eastgate Square Is Going to the Tribunal — What It Means If You're Buying in East Hamilton

Written by Daniel Zareh, REALTOR® — licensed since 2006, serving Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Winona and Grimsby.
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Development details verified against The Public Record's September 25, 2026 report and the City of Hamilton's own statements.

There was a headline this week about Eastgate going to the Ontario Land Tribunal, and most people read it as a fight over whether the towers get built. That's not what this is.

The towers are already approved. Council signed off on the redevelopment plan in December 2024. What's happening now is that almost two years later, the City still hasn't issued the site plan approvals the builder needs to actually start — so the builder took the City to the tribunal to force the issue.

That's a different story. It's also a more useful one if you're buying or selling anywhere in east Hamilton or Stoney Creek.

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What's actually approved at Eastgate

The site is 75 Centennial Parkway North — the Eastgate Square property at Centennial and Queenston. It's 18.2 hectares, about 45 acres. The owner is Hammer GP.

The full plan is 19 mixed-use towers and 4,325 residential units at build-out. Phase I is the piece that matters right now: three 20-storey towers with 696 units, on a six-storey shared podium at the Centennial and Queenston corner. The podium includes roughly 701 square metres of retail and 684 square metres of community space.

For scale, 4,325 units is a small town dropped onto a mall parking lot. And 696 of them are in the first phase alone.

Why it's at the tribunal

Council approved the plan. The City hasn't issued site plan approval, which is the separate permission you need before anything gets built.

The sticking point is transit. HSR managers haven't finalized how buses will enter and exit the site. Later phases picture an integrated HSR and Metrolinx terminal on the property, so bus routing through it isn't a small detail — but it's gone unresolved long enough that the owner filed a site plan appeal.

The City's acting general manager, Brian Hollingworth, says the City is "open to reaching a settlement agreement." He didn't list the outstanding issues.

The case is OLT-26-000726, and a case management conference is set for October 20, 2026. Worth being clear about what that is: it's a scheduling and issues meeting, not a decision. Nothing gets resolved on October 20.

The part that matters: approved isn't built

I wrote in September about why waiting for more supply is a weak plan. Eastgate is the clearest example I've seen this year.

Here's a project that cleared council 21 months ago, on land that's already serviced, in a spot where the City wants density, with an owner who wants to build. There's still no shovel, because a bus loop hasn't been settled.

That's not unusual. That's the normal speed of things. And it's why I'd be careful with anyone telling you east Hamilton prices are about to move because 4,325 units are coming. Those units arrive over a couple of decades, and phase one hasn't started.

If you're making a buying decision this fall, Eastgate shouldn't be in your math.

What it does change if you're buying near there

Three things I'd actually act on.

Construction is the near-term reality, not new neighbours. Whenever phase one starts, Centennial and Queenston becomes a construction site for years. If you're looking within a few blocks, weigh the noise, the trucks and the road work — not the finished renderings.

The transit story is real, even if the timeline isn't. Confederation GO opened on Centennial Parkway in October 2025, and the Eastgate plan contemplates an HSR–Metrolinx terminal on the same corridor. Over a long hold, that's where the City is putting its density. That's a genuine reason to like the area. It isn't a reason to overpay this year.

Check what's approved next to the specific house. Eastgate is the big one, but it isn't the only approval in that pocket. In September, council approved a 12-storey, 161-unit building at Highway 8 and DeWitt Road over the Planning Committee's objection. If you're buying within walking distance of a main road in Stoney Creek or east Hamilton, I'd want to know exactly what's been approved around it before you write an offer.

If you already own in east Hamilton or Stoney Creek

None of this changes your value today. What it changes is the conversation you'll eventually have with a buyer.

For context, in August the median detached sale in the Hamilton East area was $535,000 across 26 sales, and in Stoney Creek it was $870,000 across 29 sales (InfoSparks/ITSO, August 2026). The Eastgate site sits close to the line between those two areas, which tells you how different two pockets a few minutes apart can be. If you want the fuller picture on where the market sits, my seller's market update breaks it down by property type.

If you're listing near the site, a buyer's agent will ask about the towers sooner or later. The answer that holds up is the honest one: it's approved, it hasn't started, and the first phase alone is three 20-storey buildings. Some buyers see amenities and transit. Others see a decade of cranes. Pricing to the second group is usually the safer read.

Common Questions

Is the Eastgate Square redevelopment approved?
Yes. Hamilton City Council approved the redevelopment plan in December 2024. What hasn't been issued is site plan approval, the separate permission needed before construction can begin.

Why is Eastgate at the Ontario Land Tribunal?
The owner, Hammer GP, filed a site plan appeal because the City hasn't issued approvals. The reported holdup is that HSR managers haven't finalized how buses will enter and exit the site. The case is OLT-26-000726, with a case management conference on October 20, 2026.

How many homes are planned at Eastgate?
4,325 residential units across 19 mixed-use towers at full build-out. Phase I is three 20-storey towers with 696 units over a six-storey podium.

When will construction start?
Nobody has published a start date, and none can be until site plan approval is issued. The October 20 conference is a scheduling meeting rather than a decision, so I'd expect this to run in months, not weeks.

Will this bring down prices in east Hamilton?
Not on any timeline that should affect a purchase you're making now. Build-out runs over decades and phase one hasn't broken ground. Rates and current inventory are what decide your price this year.

Should I avoid buying near the site?
Not automatically. It depends how close you are and how long you're holding. Backing onto it is a different proposition from being six blocks away, and a ten-year hold is different from a three-year one.

If you're weighing a move near there

Send me the address you're looking at. Or your own, if you're the one thinking about selling.

I'll send back three things. Exactly where it sits relative to the Eastgate site. What else is approved on the blocks around it. And what comparable homes have actually closed for nearby since June.

I'll also tell you the part you might not want to hear. If the property is close enough that construction is going to be part of daily life for years, I'll say so. I'd rather you know that now than after you've bought. At the end of the day, I just want to make sure you're making the right decision.

Call or text 416-276-0052   Email: daniel@zarehhomes.com

Or send me the address below and I'll pull it up.

Keep reading

• Why waiting for more Hamilton supply is a weak plan
• What the Elfrida urban boundary ruling actually means
• Hamilton's mid-rise zoning change and what it does to main-road property values
• What you actually get for your money in Stoney Creek

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Daniel Zareh is a licensed REALTOR® with over 20 years of experience serving Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Grimsby, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga. Market figures cited are for August 2026 and change monthly. Development details are current as of September 26, 2026 and are subject to the tribunal process.