Walking north on James Street, it's easy to see that the area has turned a corner: walkways are bustling, storefronts are filling up and old buildings are being restored.

But take a right onto Barton Street and there are vacant buildings and empty commercial properties for blocks.

Another right onto Catharine Street, brings us to a prime example of an abandoned property that community volunteer Charlie Mattina says could change the face of the neighbourhood if it had a responsible owner.

"Look how big it is, smack in the middle of a neighbourhood, and it's not being used for anything. When people don't care about something, it becomes a dangerous place," Mattina said.

The partially fenced property at 245 Catharine St. N. is littered with garbage.

The city spent more than $135,000 in 2011 demolishing an unsafe building on the site and cleaning up barrels of industrial waste.

Although it sits behind a strip club on Barton Street, the rest of the block on Catharine is lined with well-kept older homes.

Mattina has been working with Allison Maxted, who has a master's degree in urban planning and community development, and a team of volunteers to get a community land trust up and running.

The official launch to gather community feedback, support and donations is Wednesday at LIUNA Station. The venue is at capacity and there's a waiting list to attend.

A community land trust (CLT) would acquire property that's either donated or offered at a discounted rate. It would lease the land back on a long-term basis to community groups, homeowners, affordable housing, social service agencies and small businesses.

"People are the land owners rather than it being individual land owners that only have to care about their own interest. This is a community land owner that is run by a democratic board," said Maxted, who is co-ordinator of the Hamilton Community Land Trust.

The board would consist of one-third community residents, one-third leaseholders on community trust land and one-third public interest representatives, a group that could include city councillors, service providers and funding organizations.

The trusts can range from smaller-scale operations organized by volunteers to larger ones that employ hundreds of people. With the proper support, Maxted sees the Hamilton version run primarily by volunteers with a handful of paid staff, eventually, that would be funded through grants.

The trust would be an independent, non-profit organization, but Maxted said to succeed, it's important to have a good relationship with the city, especially concerning access to land. Once the trust acquires a property, it would work with partners to fund the development.

"CLTs are in a better position to redevelop that land because unlike a private developer, they look at the long-term use of the land and long-term benefits rather than the need for short-term profit," Maxted said.

They are rare in Canada, she noted, but community land trusts exist (in the Parkdale area of Toronto, for example). There are about 240 in the United States.

The standard sources of land for CLTs are surplus city properties and those in tax arrears, but the Hamilton group is also interested in brownfields.

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Mattina and Maxted envision a community garden at the Catharine Street property, or maybe a community centre, affordable housing or parkland. It all depends on what the community wants, what is needed and what land can be acquired.

"It's a tool of empowerment and community engagement . the community is the developer. That says it all," Mattina said.

Land trust launch

When: April 2, 7 p.m.

Where: LIUNA Station, 239 John St. N., King George Room

What: Short presentation on the vision of the community land trust followed by group discussion

Note: The event is full, but the agenda will be available online Monday at hamiltonclt.org

