A motion from Councillor Matt Francis (Ward 5 – Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) to have staff examine the feasibility of acquiring and redeveloping the Red Rose Motel in the city’s east end passed unanimously in a 16-0 vote at last Wednesday’s General Issues Committee meeting.
The motion was seconded by Councillor Tammy Hwang (Ward 4 – Hamilton East).
Francis called his motion “an opportunity to address both affordable housing in the backyards of Ward 5 and cleaning up a long-standing crime-ridden location once and for all.”
The motion came after a Jan. 2 attempted murder incident at the motel where an adult female was reportedly stabbed and sustained serious injuries.
Other incidents at the motel include a stabbing homicide in 2021 and the arrest of a first-degree murder suspect at the property in 2023.
Police also receive dozens of calls to the motel every year.
The motel is located at 553 Queenston Road near the Queenston Road–Red Hill Valley Parkway overpass.
Francis added that the City of Hamilton successfully purchased and redeveloped 55 Queenston Road, the former City Motor Motel, which he said “demonstrates the potential benefits of pursuing a similar approach at other sites.”
The City Motor Hotel was also known for criminal activity.
The property is now home to two CityHousing Hamilton buildings, which have a combined 82-units.
Those buildings are known as 55 Queenston Road and 1620 Main Street East.
Francis says that the proximity of the Red Rose Motel next to the CityHousing Hamilton’s existing property at 555 Queenston Road also “presents an opportunity for potential site consolidation and redevelopment, including modular or rapid housing construction.”
The building at 555 Queenston Road is the Greenvale Apartments, which has affordable housing for seniors.
Francis noted that federal or provincial government initiatives may also provide resources or funding for affordable housing development at the site.
The Red Rose Motel property is also located along the planned light-rail transit (LRT) line and is currently well-served by HSR buses.
Francis’ motion ultimately directs staff to report back to the General Issues Committee by the end of Q2 of 2026 with a report “on the feasibility of acquiring and redeveloping 553 Queenston Road, including costs, planning and zoning considerations, redevelopment potential, and opportunities with the adjacent CityHousing Hamilton property.”
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
