By Kyle Marshall, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A pre-application community meeting was held on March 25 for a proposed high-rise mixed-use building in the city’s Old Lakeshore Road district.
The proposed 27-storey structure would be located at 2072 Lakeshore Road, in the former downtown area known as “the football,” due to the site’s football-esque shape.
Burlington’s Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns were in attendance along with representatives for Trinity Point Developments, the designers of the proposal, and planning and design company Bousfields, Inc.
2072 Lakeshore is owned by Acamar Dwelling Corp. of Vaughan, but they have not yet submitted a development application to the City of Burlington for their vision for the site.
However, the current proposal put forth by Trinity Point Developments will require Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendment applications.
The property’s current zoning allows for a maximum height of 10 storeys and 31.5 metres, while also requiring a minimum of 345 underground parking spaces and 1.25 spaces for each unit.
The urban design guidelines for the Old Lakeshore Road precinct recommend two development options for 2072 Lakeshore, either a 10- or 15-storey building, maximum. Both of those options include a two-storey building base or podium.
The proposed tower will feature 261 residential condominium units mixed with some commercial and retail space, indoor and outdoor community hubs in the first two floors to go with seven levels of underground parking. The proposed entrance will come from Old Lakeshore Road.
The third floor will have space for both indoor and outdoor amenities.
There will be a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units: 23 studio units, 24 one-bedroom units, 93 one-bedroom and den units, 118 two-bedroom units (the predominant size), and just three three-bedroom units.
There are already two other 27-storey buildings that have been approved for the eastern half of “the football” by the Ontario Land Tribunal, notably against city wishes. This new, proposed building will be on the western end.
2072 Lakeshore used to be home to a Royal LePage real estate brokerage.
The wedge-shaped design of the proposed structure took inspiration from the Flatiron Building in New York City and the Gooderham Building in Toronto and will feature a brick facade in an effort to obtain some sustainability.
Sustainability was one of the concerns that members of the public brought to attention during the question-and-answer period of the meeting, emceed by Gabriel DiMartino, senior vice president of development for Trinity Point Developments.
One gentleman inquired about whether there would be solar panels on the roof of the building along with the brick facade to help with sustainability.
Another member of the community had concerns about the amount of traffic and congestion that this new proposal would create in an already busy area with 29 and 26-story buildings right across the street, a sentiment that was echoed by other residents in attendance.
It was noted that, as always with this process, a traffic report will be conducted.
The lack of adequate parking for the amount of units in the building was another issue that was brought up, a problem that will assuredly affect the aforementioned issue of traffic congestion.
As of right now, there are only 209 parking spaces available for the 261 residential units, and none specifically for the commercial/retail space.
Currently, the visitor parking on the first level of the parking structure would double as parking for the commercial/retail spaces, but Trinity Point will be working with a transportation consultant to determine what the ratio of residential units and visitor parking should be, according to DiMartino.
Thus, the state of the parking situation could change and evolve as the planning process continues.
April is the targeted application submission for the proposed building, with an anticipated statutory public meeting at Burlington’s Committee of the Whole sometime this summer for the Zoning Bylaw and Official Plan amendments. The city must provide developers with a decision on their application (approve, approve with conditions, deny) within 120 days of the submitted application being deemed complete by city staff.
Despite the apprehension about yet another high-rise in Burlington, Mayor Meed Ward reminded everyone why they were there and that nothing is actually set in stone.
“It is really important for you to be here and we do have to move past yes and no as a binary. Yes, whatever we want. No, nothing. We’re not in that world and we never really actually have been,” she said to the crowd.
“And so what we’re here to discuss is, if not this, then what? If there’s good things about it, what are they? If there’s things that need to change, what are those?”
The mayor also encouraged those in attendance to continue to be a part of the process and voice their opinion on what they want, while also keeping an open mind about the proposed structure and being realistic that something will go in that space, regardless if it is this particular building or something else.
“Something will get built here…sometimes it works well and sometimes it doesn’t work so well,” Meed Ward continued. “We can get a really awful high-rise handed down to us from the [Ontario Land] Tribunal, or we can get something better.”
“Don’t take your foot off the gas, don’t disappear into this process.”
For more information on this proposal, and the planning process that goes along with it, and to subscribe to updates on the project, visit https://www.burlington.ca/en/news/current-development-projects/acamar-dwelling-corp-2072-lakeshore-rd.aspx.
