The image of a tired rust belt-era Hamilton, Ontario skyline as a foreboding Mordor-like hellscape spitting flames into the sky could soon become a thing of the past as a promising new future emerges for the city's heavily industrialized waterfront.

Developer and investment platform Slate Asset Management acquired the sprawling Stelco lands in 2022 with the intention to redevelop 800 acres of blackened wasteland into a massive business park.

That revitalization of this site, known as Steelport, took a major step forward this week when the developer shared updated details of their plan for the site — with impressive new visuals that are a total 180-degree departure from the basic business park revealed almost two years prior.

Slate announced that it had submitted a draft plan of subdivision for the project, along with the launch of a community engagement campaign to raise awareness about the transformative project.

The developer promises the project will generate an estimated $3.8 billion in economic value and 23,000 jobs — while bringing Hamilton's waterfront an exciting new district that repurposes industrial infrastructure into recreational space, akin to the transformation of the Bethlehem Steel Works in Pennsylvania, or, more locally, The Bentway in Toronto.

"The submission of this plan is an exciting milestone in Steelport's development process," said Steven Dejonckheere, senior vice-president at Slate.

"This plan lays out an ambitious vision that will not only re-imagine the lands and contribute to Hamilton's economy through job creation and increased industry, but also promote connectivity among residents by adding communal public spaces, greenery, and facilitating increased connection to the waterfront."

Dejonckheere says the company looks forward to "collaborating with our private sector partners and all levels of government to realize the full potential of this city-building project and make Steelport a place that all Hamiltonians can enjoy."

Slate intends to accomplish this through a combination of new spaces and repurposed industrial relics to add more than 90 acres of publicly accessible diverse landscapes and over 60 acres of trails and pathways to Hamilton's waterfront.

This will all be centred on a futuristic business park and satellite community hubs that will serve as the driving creative and economic force fuelling the project.

The highlight of this public network is the proposed four-kilometre Steelport Loop trail, which will meander through various distinct zones.

One of the most impressive zones is referred to in plans as the Pipe Gallery, repurposing the site's plentiful industrial infrastructure to frame what will serve as the development's main street, featuring spaces for small-scale start-ups, creators and entrepreneurs, as well as a mix of retail and amenities serving visitors and the worker population.

An area known as The Battery is pictured to serve as a central hub for Hamilton's creative production industries, and is being designed with programmability in mind to host celebrations of cultural heritage.

While some areas will retain and greenify existing industrial infrastructure, other spaces like the proposed Lagoonscape zone would bring the site back to its natural roots.

This area is envisioned as a biodiverse landscape that functions as a stormwater management pond, and will open up a portion of the waterfront that has been blocked off by heavy industry for well over a century.

The reveal of this updated plan comes alongside the launch of a formalized community consultation process where members of the public are invited to share their feedback and ideas.

"We intend for Steelport to be a true reflection of the Hamilton community, and an economic and cultural cornerstone of the Hamilton region for decades to come, which is why Hamiltonians' input at every stage of this project will be integral to its success," added Dejonckheere.