The Bell Blvd. Corridor Study was approved in the 2021 Operating Budget (D6-10) for $376,100.
The goal of the Corridor Study is to understand the specific needs and opportunities in the study area and establish a framework that gives the City direction to guide long-term development of Bell Boulevard and North Front Street as vibrant, mixed-use, and intensification corridors.
This direction will contribute to the overall planning vision for the City by helping to meet Official Plan (OP) objectives, and will help Belleville make well-informed decisions related to the development of the Bell Boulevard/North Front Street corridor.
June 25, 2025 – Public Consultation Centre to get feedback on draft Corridor Plan for Bell Boulevard and North Front Street
- What: For Staff to receive feedback on the first draft of the Corridor Study
- When: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
- Where: Parkdale Community Centre, 119 Birch Street, Belleville
- Time: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
To submit comments or be added to the interested parties list to be notified of the progression of the study and when public engagements will be held please fill out our Corridor Study comment form, email [email protected] or phone 613-967-3288.
Draft Corridor Study report
The Study supports an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) to embed the vision into municipal planning policy.
Vision
Bell Boulevard and North Front Street are key intensification corridors within the City and should provide a mix of urban environments, including a range of commercial business and employment opportunities, a wide array of housing types, and convenient access to a mix of services and amenities. Supporting the mix of commercial, employment, and residential uses, these corridors should provide more housing options and enhance the connectivity, walkability, and safety of the corridors within a low to mid-rise scale that is integrated with the established surrounding neighbourhoods.
Principles include
Encourage a mix of housing types within these corridor areas, in appropriate locations, to accommodate diverse needs, including affordable housing, seniors housing, and rental housing, while ensuring new residential development is compatible with existing surrounding neighborhoods, and providing infrastructure and amenities that support the City’s nearby residential communities.
Provide opportunities for affordable and well-maintained housing for all people by prioritizing affordable housing typologies, implementing a mix of housing types and tenures, and concentrating housing close to services and amenities within appropriate locations.
Emphasize design and development that encourages walking and other forms of active transportation, by creating safe and comfortable pedestrian spaces, implementing traffic calming measures to enhance pedestrian safety, and encouraging an interconnected travelling
network and a mix of compact uses that promote walking and active transportation.
Districts
Four distinct districts have been identified:
- Bell Boulevard West: Large, mostly undeveloped parcels focused on employment, commercial, and new residential neighborhoods.
- Bell Boulevard and Sidney Street Intensification District: A key location for higher-density residential and mixed-use development.
- Quinte Mall District: Anchored by existing retail, with potential for mixed-use and public realm enhancements.
- North Front Street District: Smaller-format commercial, service retail, and mid-rise residential development with streetscape improvements.
Land use types
- Residential (yellow): Low to mid-rise (up to 9 storeys), mixed typologies including townhouses, stacked units, and multiplexes.
- Mixed-Use (orange): Residential over commercial or a mix of buildings on a single site.
- Commercial (red): Larger footprint, regional and community-oriented uses; some flexibility for special-purpose businesses.
- Employment (grey): Light manufacturing, warehousing, and office uses—with design expectations and compatibility with adjacent land uses.
Proposed mobility improvements
- Bell Boulevard: Continue recent upgrades (multi-use path, medians) and extend streetscaping westward.
- North Front Street: Reconstruct and enhance for pedestrians and active transportation; reduce curb cuts.
- Transit: Add new routes and stops aligned with new development.
- Active Transportation: Build a continuous multi-use trail network, including a new Hydro Corridor Trail linking to Riverside Park.
Open Council’s feedback
In general, we like most of the study’s recommendations, particularly the implementation of:
- Mixed-use and mid-rise housing
- Walkability
- Active transportation
- Parks and open spaces
However, we would like to see the following adjustments:
- Prioritize housing over commercial-only development – There should be more emphasis on building a range of housing types, especially in underutilized or vacant parcels, rather than reserving so much land for commercial uses, particularly along Bell Boulevard West.
- Less emphasis on attractiveness/design guidelines, attractiveness and maintaining a small town feel – Belleville needs employment growth and it needs more housing. It’s great for new developments to look new, modern and inviting, but adding more guidelines, limits and rules could stifle demand for development. “The design of buildings, and how they address Bell Boulevard, North Front Street and other streets, is perhaps the most important element to consider as the corridors redevelop.”
October 31, 2024 – Transportation Assessment Report
2022 – Land Use Survey
A land use survey was available in 2022 for members of the public to provide input on draft land use options for these important areas of our city. The Input collected helped inform the development of a preferred land use concept and future policies for the areas.
September 29, 2022 – Public Information Centre #2 – Public Information Meeting
The purpose of the meeting was to receive feedback on the project including the proposed land use option and public realm framework and facilitate a working session to learn about your thoughts and preferences for the area.
- Public Information Presentation
- Public Information Panel
- Public Engagement Summary
Feedback
Land Use & Built Form – Participants envision a mix of low-rise and mid-rise mixed-use commercial and employment buildings in the eastern and western sections of Bell Boulevard. The intersection of Bell Boulevard and Sidney Street is preferred for low-rise and mid-rise mixed-use residential buildings. While high-rise built forms were not widely supported, they could be considered in the western parts of Bell Boulevard. Urban design elements, such as setbacks and step-backs, are deemed essential for creating a high-quality urban environment around higher density built forms. On North Front Street, mid-rise mixed-use residential buildings are favored in the northern and southern sections, while low-rise mixed-use residential buildings are preferred throughout the street, with some opportunities for low-rise mixed-use commercial buildings.
Public Realm and Mobility – For Bell Boulevard, participants prioritized improving vehicle movement while also advocating for better bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. They emphasized the need for northsouth vehicular and active transportation connections, safe cycling/pedestrian connections across Highway 401, and landscaping along sidewalks and central medians. On North Front Street, participants desired dedicated bicycle lanes, pedestrian pathways, and mid-block connections to residential neighborhoods with wider and deeper lots. Landscape elements and central turning lanes are also considered important features for enhancing the public realm and mobility in the area.
April 5, 2022 – Public Information Centre #1 – Virtual Public Information Meeting
The purpose of the virtual meeting was to receive public input on the Corridor Study for Bell Boulevard and North Front Street.
- Virtual Public Information Notice
- Slide Deck Meeting Presentation
- A recording of the presentation can be found at youtube.com/bellevillecityhall.
Feedback summary
Residents emphasized:
- Mixed opinions on building height—support for mixed-use, mid-rise, caution around high-rise development.
- Desire for a small-town feel with modern amenities.
- Importance of walkability, green space, and safe cycling.
Visioning Survey
A visioning survey was posted in 2022 to receive input on current conditions and the future of these key commercial areas of our city. Input collected will be used to inform the vision and future policies for the area.
- Public Engagement Summary provides a summary of input received through Public Information Centre #1 and the visioning survey.
What is the Corridor Study Area?
The Corridor Study focuses on Bell Boulevard between Wallbridge-Loyalist Road and North Front Street and North Front Street between Highway 401 and the Belleville CN Rail Line (south of Evans Street).
The western portion of the Corridor Study area between Wallbridge-Loyalist Road and Hanna Court is part of the Loyalist Secondary Plan which is being reviewed and updated concurrently with this project. The update to the corridor area through this Corridor Study and the update to the Loyalist Secondary Plan will act as a guide to accommodate future growth, and in particular, an appropriate mix of residential, commercial, and
employment uses within the corridors.
The purpose of the Corridor Study is to provide a detailed analysis that reviews and integrates planning, urban design, engineering due diligence (water, sewer, storm), and ecological due diligence of the study area. Fotenn Planning & Design have been awarded the contract to undergo the Bell Boulevard and North Front Street Corridor Study.
