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A massive development is being proposed at 1200 King Road in Burlington’s Aldershot area, where Alinea Group has submitted applications for a 49.1ha site. Designed by Giannone Petricone Associates, the proposal would transform an unused site into a community tied to the nearby Aldershot GO station, within its Major Transit Station Area. Envisioning 36 buildings rising up to 53 storeys, the plan introduces a mix of residential, commercial, institutional, and entertainment uses.
The site is located on the west side of King Road, between Highway 403 to the north and the Lakeshore West rail corridor to the south. Currently vacant, the lands were historically used for agriculture and industrial purposes. Woodlands occupy the western portion alongside Falcon and Grindstone creeks, while Indian Creek runs north–south through the eastern half, accompanied by wetlands and meadow areas that form part of the region’s Natural Heritage System. The surrounding area is mixed, with employment uses along King Road, Waterdown Road, and the rail corridor, transitioning to low-rise residential neighbourhoods further south. The GO station is to the immediate west of the site.
Planning for the site has spanned several decades, with proposals dating back to the late 1990s largely centred on whether the lands should be reserved exclusively for employment uses. A 2015 application for redevelopment, including a Draft Plan of Subdivision, was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal. With the site now positioned within the Urban Area and no longer constrained to employment uses, Bousfields has submitted Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to the City of Burlington on behalf of the developer.
The proposal is organized through a Draft Plan of Subdivision that divides the site into 26 development blocks, with most of the density to the east, allowing much of the woodland on the west side to remain. Nine blocks are planned to accommodate a mix of uses, including a retail-focused hub along King Road with a new urban square, a mixed-use office and residential block, and an entertainment district featuring a hotel, arena, event plaza, and community centre.
Three additional blocks would be reserved for an institutional campus with potential post-secondary uses, while five blocks are planned for residential development ranging from townhouses to high-rise buildings. The plan incorporates a central public park, multiple open spaces and natural heritage blocks, stormwater management areas, and a network of new public streets, with one street extending west towards the GO station and Waterdown Road via Alayne Bryk Way.
Buildings would range from 1 to 53 storeys/174.4m, with the tallest buildings positioned toward Highway 403, King Road, with two of them near the GO station. In total, the proposal includes approximately 8,822 residential units and nearly 696,000m² of Gross Floor Area, with 598,360m² of residential, 11,738m² of retail, 13,120m² of office, 56,407m² of institutional, and 16,297m² of commercial space. A central east–west pedestrian spine would connect destinations across the site, including the retail hub, campus blocks, and a 2.03ha central park, extending westward toward the station. Roughly one-third of the site would be reserved for parkland, open space, and natural heritage features.
Development is expected to proceed in phases, beginning with blocks along King Road that can be supported by existing infrastructure, with later phases advancing westward. Parking across the site is planned primarily below grade, supplemented by select above-grade and surface facilities, including a structured parking component within the entertainment district. In total, approximately 9,114 vehicular parking spaces are proposed.
The site is within 2km of Aldershot GO station, providing regional transit connections along the Lakeshore West line, as well as VIA Rail destinations. Local transit is also accessible, with Burlington Transit routes operating along Plains Road East within approximately 500m to 800m of the site, providing regular service to Aldershot GO, Downtown Burlington, and Appleby GO. Cycling infrastructure is supported by painted bike lanes along King Road and Plains Road, complemented by the internal network of multi-modal streets, dedicated cycling facilities, and trail connections.
Nearby proposals to the south include mid-rise buildings such as the 8-storey Aldershot Greenhouses redevelopment and several 11-storey projects at 517 and 355 Plains Road East and 1022 Gallagher Road. Further east, proposals include 25 storeys at 1376–1382 Plains Road East and a cluster of four towers ranging from 22 to 35 storeys at 1134–1167 Plains Road East.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The article has been updated to reflect the architectural team for the project.
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UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | Bousfields, Cicada Design Inc., Giannone Petricone Associates |
