A Vision for the Future of Kingston Penitentiary and Portsmouth Olympic Harbour

This week the recommended vision for the future of Kingston Penitentiary and Portsmouth Olympic Harbour was released. This final vision is the product of a year-long process that saw over 1000 Kingstonians contribute their ideas and opinions about the future of this signature piece of Kingston’s waterfront. I believe there’s a lot to be excited about with this vision.

As you can see from the graphic above, the recommended vision has a waterfront pathway along the entire property, and expanded green space that will preserve the existing view of the waterfront from King Street. On the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour side, a new marina building with a smaller footprint will allow for more open space for sailing events and other community activities.

On the Kingston Penitentiary side of the property, it’s recommended that the north half be preserved more or less in its current state to facilitate tourism opportunities in the long term. The south half of the KP property would then be designated for both new development and adaptive re-use of some existing heritage buildings. This could allow for residential and commercial development, including other potential uses like a sailing centre, museum space, restaurants or other tourism or sport related activities.

Once final comments are collected, the recommended vision will be presented to City Council to be voted on. If Council votes in favour of the vision, then the hard work really begins with the development of a plan to make this vision a reality!