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300 Dufferin Ave. was a busy spot in 2024, between setting new ward boundaries, a new four-year budget, new building height limits and going ahead with an expansion to London’s urban growth boundary. Things won’t be much quieter in 2025 and city hall reporter Jack Moulton takes a look at what Londoners should expect in the year ahead.
BIG AMBITIONS?
As both a provincial and federal election look likely to happen sooner rather than later, it’s possible city council could have some holes as city councillors shoot for higher office.
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Ward 5 Coun. Jerry Pribil has been acclaimed as the Ontario Progressive Conservative candidate for the London North Centre riding, which is currently held by NDP MPP Terence Kernaghan. Pribil was acclaimed as the candidate in the same riding in the 2022 provincial election.
On the federal side, Ward 4 Coun. Susan Stevenson confirmed to The Free Press earlier this month she intends to seek the nomination as the Tory candidate for the new London Centre riding, a rejig of the current London North Centre riding held by Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos.
Ward 8 Coun. Steve Lehman unsuccessfully sought the nomination as the Tory candidate for London West, currently held by Liberal MP and former city councillor Arielle Kayabaga, but was beat out by Adam Benni.
THE STATE OF THE CITY IS…?
An annual fixture from the mayor’s office, it is possible the 2025 state of the city address could bring yet another shakeup at city hall.
During his first address, Mayor Josh Morgan unveiled the anonymous $25-million donation to tackle homelessness through the shelter service hub model, and hinted at an office-to-residential conversion program that would become the feature of his second speech.
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It was also during his second speech that he promised to explore opening up housing development on city parking lots, and unveiled a supportive housing project at the former Elmwood Place long term care home in Old South.
Morgan is set to deliver his third address as mayor on Jan. 23 at 7:30 a.m.
GETTING AROUND
The major pieces of city hall’s new transportation master plan have been unveiled, and after some public consultation through January, the networks and broader plan will be presented to politicians in the spring and summer respectively.
The master mobility plan sets out different projects the city views as a priority to fund over the next 25 years, especially as the London-region population is expected to swell by more than 50 per cent.
Individual projects will still need their own approval, pending funding, but politicians are expected to make known any changes or prioritization they’d like to see.
A NEW DOWNTOWN PLAN
As new residential towers have begun springing up in the downtown core, office buildings have hollowed out, and more Londoners have ended up on the streets, city hall is looking to draft a plan to address it all.
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The project, which is costing the city more than $400,000, will be broken into two phases – one aimed at short-term measures while in the second, a consultant lays out a broader plan.
The first phase is expected to get underway early in the new year, and the plan will include options for public input. Ward 13 Coun. David Ferreira has previously said he hopes the first phase will include enhanced security and street cleaning, along with an extension of free parking.
WHERE TO BUILD?
City council just gave the green light to make the first significant addition to London’s urban growth boundary in almost 30 years. The boundary dictates where residential and commercial development can occur in the city.
It’s unclear if the province will support an expansion of 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) pitched by the private sector for more than 40 years of projected population growth, but in the meantime, city hall is exploring adding 1,476 hectares (3,647 acres) for 30 years of growth.
City staff will return with recommendations for lands to be added to the boundary in the spring, partly based on requests that have already been made by landowners.
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