Located in the historic neighbourhood of Port Dalhousie in St. Catharines, the development at 333 Main Street preserves the property’s heritage while also allowing new residents to move in and contribute to the neighbourhood. Initially, the property was comprised of a large estate home set far back from the sidewalk.
The “Blaikie” house is a unique piece of history in the Port Dalhousie neighbourhood. The home is a large estate building set far back from the main road. Our team worked with local officials and planners to obtain a designation for the home and, as such, retain it as a feature in the development.
The site now features 11 new homes comprising seven townhome units and four single detached houses. Each home has a unique exterior design, with cohesive styles to the surrounding neighbourhood. The plan also enhances the property’s landscaping details, adding new trees and plants and a realignment of the Main Street sidewalk.
Dan Romanko is a consulting Professional Planner practicing urban design, and neighbourhood development in Ontario with over 25 years’ experience.
Growing up in Mississauga in the ’80s, his childhood years were spent in a categorically suburban environment. This experience sparked an interest in land-use patterns and ultimately the Urban Planning profession. Dan began his academic career at Sheridan College, graduating as a Civil Engineering Technician in 1992; he then went on to complete the Honours Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 1997. Years later, his interest in community scale sustainability found him continuing his education and he received a Master of Engineering Design in Sustainable Infrastructure from McMaster University in 2012.
Dan has worked as a planner in a consulting role since 1998. From 2000-2009, Dan worked with Barr Associates in St. Catharines as urban designer. After a five-year stint at another multi-disciplinary firm downtown St. Catharines, Dan returned to Barr Associates in 2015 as partner and the company changed its name to Better Neighbourhoods Inc.
In addition to his managing partner role, Dan is a full member in the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and been qualified as an expert witness at the Ontario Land Tribunal. He has been an accredited member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU-A) since 2009 and has attended annual Congresses since 2006. Dan lives downtown St. Catharines with his family and is fortunate to have a seven minute walk to work.
