A preferred bidder is now lined up to redevelop the Jamesville social housing complex, but the empty North End ghost town won't be knocked down for at least a year.

Stoney Creek-based Marz Homes is the preferred bidder to buy and redevelop the prominent block of 91 city-owned townhouses near the James Street GO station.

But a contract is not yet signed, and demolition alone could stretch beyond 2020.

That means Jamesville won't offer relief to Hamilton's growing 6,800-household waiting list for subsidized housing any time soon.

Here are five questions about the much-anticipated project:

What is this project?

The Jamesville complex is 91 family-sized townhouses bounded by MacNab, Ferrie, James and Strachan streets and owned by the city's social housing provider, CityHousing Hamilton (CHH).

The agency wants to sell the land near the GO train station for a mixed-income redevelopment featuring up to 650 condo and rental units, with 45 rentals still owned and subsidized by CHH. The existing townhomes will be demolished.

What happens to tenants?

The agency started slowly emptying the townhomes as far back as 2015 in anticipation of a redevelopment.

This spurred plenty of criticism — particularly with units sitting vacant amid a housing crisis.

The last tenants were relocated early this year. So far, only five households have asked to return to CHH-owned units on the eventually rebuilt Jamesville site.

Other families are expected to go to a new six-storey rental building planned for the corner of Bay and Cannon streets. In total, 45 of the existing subsidized Jamesville units will be relocated here.

When will building start?

Don't hold your breath for construction cranes — even demolition could be a year or two away.

The CityHousing Hamilton board must vote on whether to "qualify" the preferred bid in November, and a contract won't be signed and sealed before May 2020.

The housing agency is responsible for razing the existing townhomes.

But demolition could be a long and complicated process, depending on how much asbestos must be removed from the 50-year-old townhouses. Historical ground contamination also requires study.

"I would like it to start tomorrow, but realistically we can't ignore safety and due diligence," said Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr, who acknowledged North End residents are eager to see progress on the site.

"For me, this has been a seven-year journey already ... I'm pleased we now have a decision in sight."

In the best-case scenario, the start of the knock-down process is at least a year away.

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Why are they doing it?

The cash-strapped social housing agency can't keep up with a growing backlog of repairs to its aging stable of 6,000-plus subsidized units, many located in failing towers or complexes built in the 1970s.

The agency is already selling off single-family homes to raise cash and is looking to partner with private builders to redevelop several properties, including Jamesville and land near Roxborough Park.

"We are land-rich but resource-poor," board chair Chad Collins has said. "This is about making the best use of our assets."

Collins argues redevelopment also allows the agency to invest in "mixed-income" communities, with a combination of subsidized housing and market-rate apartments.

What will it look like?

The public won't get a glimpse of the builder's vision for the 2.3-hectare property until late November.

But this is what we know so far:

Half of the existing 91 rent-geared-to-income social housing units will be replaced on the site, with the remainder relocating nearby.

The winning bidder must provide at least another 45 "affordable" private rental units on top of the subsidized CHH building.

Building heights are uncertain, but existing zoning limits buildings in the area and along James Street North to mid-rise or below. Other developers in the area have applied for exceptions to allow more density, given the proximity to the GO train station.

mvandongen@thespec.com

905-526-3241 | @Mattatthespec