White House squirrels boast Rondeau Park roots
Members of a city council committee were raving this week over a plan to build a 28-unit apartment building on a long-vacant lot at Tecumseh Road West and Campbell Avenue.
They said it was a great example of infilling — adding badly needed residential housing to core areas where services like roads, schools and public transit already exist.
“I applaud this development, excited to see it go forward. This is exactly the type of development we want to see,” Ward 3 Coun. Rino Bortolin, chairman of council's development and heritage standing committee said Monday as members voted unanimously to recommend approval of the project by Refuge Property Services and Investments. The firm is associated with the Redeemed Church of God, located directly east of the vacant property.
Earlier in the meeting, proposals for four- and five-storey infill residential projects — one on University Avenue West and another at North Talbot Road and 6th Concession — were met with stiff resistance from residents and were deferred until next month. But there was no such opposition for the four-storey Campbell/tecumseh project, which is seeking to reduce its required parking spaces from 1.25 per unit to one, arguing that the proximity of bus routes and bike lanes mean some tenants won't need cars. The property is a half-acre on the northeast corner of the intersection.
“I think this one shows what is possible and what can work on a parcel that's been empty and vacant for some time,” Bortolin said of the project. "Using the smaller parcel, putting in 28 units, being willing to reduce the parking.
“This will be a perfect opportunity for lots of different residents who potentially will not be driving to take advantage of brand-new units in the core of the city.”
The building will house nine one-bedroom units, 15 two bedrooms and four three-bedrooms, said the planner for the project Jackie Lassaline, adding the multiple-bedroom units will target families in the neighbourhood.
“I think it's a fantastic development,” said committee member Jake Rondot. “I think four storeys isn't something we should be shy of, I think development of residential in a commercial area isn't something we should be shy of. This is an ideal infill building.”
Ward 10 Coun. Jim Morrison said he's very familiar with the property — he drives by it regularly. “It's certainly been sitting vacant with no sign of anything happening for a long, long time,” he said. “Looking forward to seeing this go up on a long time, neglected property that is perfect for intensification.”
The architect for the project, Robert Di Maio, said he's working to design the building so it connects visually with other distinctive buildings in the area. For example, there's a “very cool library,” nearby on Campbell, he said. “We're hoping that area can get developed with some more prominent architecture.”
The rezoning for the property still must be approved by council.