The Elevator Bay waterfront site that was once touted for a massive $160 million condominium and marina project is in danger of being sold by the city for unpaid property taxes.

Elevator Bay Development Inc. accumulated $803,000 in tax arrears over the past five years for its undeveloped pier at 1102-1110 King Street West, according to city officials.

However, councillors are willing to give the owner one more chance to pay up. They've agreed to hold off on a tax sale of the property until May 30, 2013.

EMC Kingston Article here:

http://goo.gl/ch9qJ

PRESS RELEASE from The Kingston and Area Real Estate Association September 10, 2012

SALES
The summer months are usually a slow time for housing sales, and August was no exception with Single Family Residential Home sales totalling 234, a 24.5% drop from July, and 4.5% lower than August 2011 when 245 units were sold. Year-to-Date results continue to be strong. Sales for January to August this year total 2352 which represents a 7.3% increase over the same period in 2011. The average price of homes sold in the month of August was $272,727, while the 12 Month average price increased over the previous 12 month period by 2.7%, from $269,222 to $276,510.

LISTINGS
As of August 31, 2012, there were 2,457 Active Listings in the Kingston area, of which 1,560 were Residential properties. Total Active Listings are up 2.7% from 2,392 this time last year.

The full Press Release is here ( PDF Download):

http://goo.gl/fZA5A

PRESS RELEASE from The Kingston and Area Real Estate Association August 9, 2012

SALES
Single Family Residential Home sales rebounded in July from the unexpected slower than usual June. Compared to July 2011 when 253 homes exchanged hands, sales of 307 units this July was up by 21.3% but down only slightly from June by 4.7%. Year-to-Date July, unit sales remain higher than the same period in the previous year by 8.6%. The average price of homes sold in the month of June was $282,503, basically at par with July 2011, while the 12 Month average price held at $275,215, an increase of 2.1% over the previous 12 Month period.

LISTINGS
As of July 31, 2012, there were 2,538 Active Listings in the Kingston area, of which 1,630 were Residential properties. Total Active Listings are up 3.9% from 2,442 this time last year.

The full Press Release is here ( PDF Download):

http://goo.gl/nYE1v

From news@lists.cityofkingston.ca

Utilities Kingston has received several calls from concerned residents who have been approached by door-to-door sales people who are falsely representing themselves as being associated with Utilities Kingston in an attempt to rent water heaters.

All Utilities Kingston employees carry identification and customers are encouraged to ask to see it.

Utilities Kingston does not promote its products door-to-door and has not authorized this company to remove their water heaters from homes. These individuals do not represent and are in no way associated with Utilities Kingston.

Customers are reminded to always carefully review all the facts of any offer made by a company, especially before signing a contract. Utilities Kingston is always willing to assist with questions related to its water heater rental program at 613-546-0000.

July 24, 2012 - The average sale price for residential properties in Kingston and the surrounding area has risen by 16 per cent between January 1, 2008 and January 1, 2012, according to the first report on residential sale price trends published by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).

The average sale price for residential properties in Ontario has risen by 17 per cent during the same time.

NOTE: The blogging of this article should in NO WAY indicate that I agree with anything or anyone at MPAC. I personally think their assessments are inaccurate, and they are incompetent. But that's a blog post for another day. I suggest you Google fight MPAC Assessment and see what comes up.

The full report is here:

http://www.mpac.on.ca/media_centre/news_releases_kingston.asp

It has been eleven years since Ontario's Condominium Act, 1998 came into force. In that time, the condominium market has changed dramatically in both size and complexity. The Ontario government recognizes that a comprehensive review is necessary to modernize the Act so it reflects the current and future needs of owners, residents and other stakeholders in the condominium community.

On June 8, 2012, the government announced that the Ministry of Consumer Services will launch a review of the Act through a public consultation to identify a comprehensive set of issues and long-term solutions.

The consultation involves working in a new way, through an innovative public engagement approach, with people from the condominium community.

The goals of the review are to:

• engage and work directly with all condominium stakeholders, including condominium owners and residents
• build on findings and advice from a broad range of individuals and organizations that have been studying the issues in the condominium sector
• find long-term solutions that will work for everyone in the years to come

More information can be found here:

http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/condo_review.aspx

Councillors decided last night, in less than seven minutes, to move ahead with a public meeting to discuss the opening of a privatized casino in Kingston.

This is how the process will unfold in the weeks ahead:

• the public meeting will be held in Memorial Hall on Aug. 8;

• the information from the meeting will confirm whether or not Kingstonians support a casino within its city limits; and

• if they do, the Kingston Economic Development Corporation will receive enquiries from private gaming facility operators.

Kingston Whig Standard article here:

http://www.thewhig.com/2012/07/19/politics-green-light-on-casino-talks

The city council casino debate ended abruptly in the early hours of Wednesday morning with the mayor and one city councillor yelling allegations at one another.

Tuesday's meeting will be resumed Thursday night in the city council chambers at 7 p.m. and start off with the casino issue.

Looks like this is going to an interesting debate... Read all the gory details in this Kingston Whig Standard article:

http://www.thewhig.com/2012/07/18/casino-debate-boils-over

This question will be answered by the process of a motion coming before city council on Tuesday, July 17/2012. If that motion passes, city staff will be directed to hold a public meeting to gauge public response and acquire public input on the matter.

Kingston Whig Standard article here:

http://www.thewhig.com/2012/07/15/just-gauging-casino-interest-mayor