Pier 7 Boardwalk and Transient Docks - Hamilton, ON

The City of Hamilton’s waterfront redevelopment positions the community to meet its cultural and recreational goals of the growing city. Over the last three decades, investments helped to transform this area into a highly desirable public space for people to live, work, and play. The redevelopment of the City’s Pier 7 shoreline represents another key project that continues the revitalization of the extensive waterfront lands.

The existing shoreline edge was limited and unsafe for pedestrian access to the water. The demand for the water’s edge experience often created conflicts between casual visitors, recreational users, fishermen, and the programmed facilities provided by the Hamilton Waterfront Trust. Dillon prepared an overall concept and functional plan for the waterfront’s recreational component as established in the City of Hamilton’s Recreational Master Plan including shore protection structures that accommodated the City’s redevelopment plans and provided unique landscaping features within the property limits.

Dillon’s concept for the plan focused on designing improvements to the public edge of the existing piers and the outdated transient dock system. The boardwalk boasts an extensive amount of raised seat walls with smooth cap edges wide enough for seating to ensure users have a comfortable experience. Wherever possible, railings have been eliminated to allow for unobstructed view and access to the water providing anglers with numerous opportunities to cast their lines along the expanse of boardwalk. Pathways are wide enough to accommodate a diverse combination of activities.

Our detailed design and construction documents for the development of the continuous boardwalk accommodated a range of active and passive activities, including integrating the West Harbourfront Trail and the replacement of existing dock structures for a new floating dock system to service visiting boaters and the popular Hamiltonian Tour Boat. Recent work included a 150-metre-long shoreline boardwalk with 12 docks for boaters along with new lighting and electrical irrigation systems to support eight flower and tree beds.

Dillon’s plan for Pier 7 has produced an innovative and visually pleasing design and welcoming waterfront amenities for residents and visitors. This project was recognized with a 2017 Project of the Year Award in the Waterfront Redevelopment Category by the Hamilton/Halton Engineering Week Committee and a 2018 Project of the Year Award, in the Transportation, $2 Million to $10 Million category, by the Ontario Public Works Association.