The City of Sarnia is moving forward with the development of lands designated for future growth on the municipality's east side.
The 988 acres, known as Development Area 2, is bounded by Modeland Road, London Line, Blackwell Sideroad and the CN Rail Line.
Development Manager David Jackson said they've hired Stantec Consulting Ltd. to undertake a study to determine the best way to service the area with water, wastewater, stormwater and transportation infrastructure.
He said it's zoned for a mix of residential , commercial and industrial uses.
"The other development area around Rapids Parkway is starting to fill in," said Jackson. "Part of the importance of this is that it's a long-range plan. So, we want to be strategic about how we service this area and we want to be ready for future growth so that developers have somewhere to build when they want to build."
Jackson said they're eyeing about 1,500 residential lots for the area.
He said the project will be financed through development charges but a cost estimate isn't available yet.
If all goes according to plan, the project would take about three years to complete.
A public meeting on the plan is being held on November 13 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Sarnia City Hall.