Proposed downtown development a step closer to approval
A downtown development that will feature a 17-storey condo apartment building, an eight-storey office building, ground-floor retail and an eight-storey parking garage, with three additional underground levels of parking, is one step closer to becoming a reality.
The Community Development Committee unanimously approved two recommendations Monday night that gives the developer, Carriage Gate Group, special permission to construct the development through amendments to the city’s official plan and a zoning bylaw.
The approvals need to be finalized by council at the July 5 meeting.
The mixed-use development is unique, as it will occupy an entire block in the downtown core. The project is slated for the block bounded by Caroline, John, Elizabeth and Maria streets.
A major selling point of the project for committee members is the developer’s plan of using approximately five storeys of the office building for doctors’ and specialists’ offices. A Carriage Gate Group spokesperson told the committee Monday night it envisions the building housing 30 to 40 doctors within the first few years of opening.
Several local doctors spoke in favour of having new medical offices downtown, with some saying they are planning to move into the new building.
Some committee members applauded the price points of the condo apartments. The building is slated to offer 154 units, with 73 per cent priced between $200,000 and $265,000.
The eight-storey parking lot was another feature cited as being attractive by councillors.
With downtown parking often at a premium, the developer’s plan to create more parking than is currently required for that block of property was appealing, committee members said.
There will be a total of 522 parking spaces, which includes 193 for the apartment building, 85 for employee parking and 244 for medical office building staff, patients and visitors.
BDBA supports project
The developer still needs several more approvals, such as for the site plan, before the project is shovel-ready. The developer would like to start construction this year, with late 2011/early 2012 occupancy, according to city staff.
The building is expected to create 454 jobs.
The Burlington Downtown Business Association applauded the project, saying that it is good for the downtown economy, with the foot traffic created by the residents and clients giving an additional shot in the arm to downtown businesses.
The developer said they are considering several green features for the buildings, such as meeting LEED Silver certification for the residential building, installing a green roof on the parking garage and using geothermal cooling and heating.
However, not everyone who attended Monday’s meeting was in favour of the project.
Several residents expressed concerns, such as increased neighbourhood traffic, insufficient parking for a medical building, lack of green space on the development site, as well as uneasiness that the buildings, particularly the apartment complex, are too high for the downtown core.
