A Hamilton entrepreneur has purchased a massive swath of industrial land just outside of the core — the biggest piece of downtown land to be sold in recent memory.

Joe Accardi, best known as the owner of the Green Smoothie Bar on James Street North, has purchased the former Ball Packaging plant on Victoria Avenue North. The massive lot — consisting of 7.5 acres between Victoria, Wellington, Ferrie and the train tracks — has been vacant since the factory closed in 2001.

Accardi said he was drawn to the site for its proximity to several high-profile projects, including the new West Harbour Go station and the soon-to-be-opened Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre near the General.

"I feel like it's a forgotten block next to a bunch of inspiring projects," said Accardi. "It's hopefully going to help turn people's heads on the quality of life that can be contained in that area. The building stock when it was built was of the highest quality in the city. … Hopefully it will be unforgotten soon."

Derek Doyle of Ambitious Realty — the same company that brokered the sale of the historic Treble Hall earlier this week — said the building sold for roughly $5.25 million.

"It's so big, you can do a lot there. You could have 10, 15 ideas and have them all happening there," Doyle said.

The property includes several different buildings, including a large-scale industrial warehouse, which currently houses a window company and four turn-of-the-century industrial buildings along the west side of the property. Those buildings, which have been vacant for decades, feature post-and-beam construction and massive, albeit bricked-over, windows.

"That's where a lot of the unique thinking has to be done," Accardi said. "I just can't wait until we can bring light back into the buildings."

He says he's already heard from an architecture firm and an engineering firm interested in housing their offices on the site.

However, Accardi said he doesn't yet have firm plans for what type of use he'd like the building to have at this point. The property is not zoned for residential use.

"There's plenty of opportunity for lots of ideas."

City economic development staff declined to comment on the project until they see formal plans for its redevelopment.

Coun. Matthew Green, who represents the area, said Accardi's purchase is an example of how smart entrepreneurs are snapping up land in areas that are only starting to see glimpses of revitalization.

"I think it signals, particularly in young, ambitious urban investors like Joe, the shift toward adaptive reuse," Green said. "I'm really excited to see what's in store for that space. It's massive. I'm quite confident they'll be able to bring together something that's really exciting for our neighbourhood."

Accardi has already spearheaded several projects in Hamilton. His first business, the Green Smoothie Bar, is expanding to Ottawa Street.

He launched Platform 302 on Cumberland Avenue three years ago. It's home to developers, freelancers and entrepreneurs who rent offices or desks by the month, week or day.

His most recent project, CoMotion on King, is a shared workspace that faces the new downtown condo project at the Royal Connaught.

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Accardi will take possession of the Ball Packaging buildings on Nov. 30.