Seniors housing proposal heads to public hearing
A Concert Properties proposal to build a 15-storey seniors tower on the Belleville Street site of the former Crystal Court Motel will go to public hearing.
Through almost three hours of debate Thursday that ranged from neighbourhood traffic patterns and building height to the potential provision of affordable housing, it became clear not all councillors were entirely satisfied with the proposal.
While deciding to send the project to hearing, council asked city staff to consult with Concert about whether the proposal adequately reflects the Belleville and Douglas streets intersection as a gateway to the Douglas Street corridor.
They also recommended that half of the estimated $237,000 density bonus contribution Concert would pay should go to the affordability housing reserve fund to be used in the downtown or James Bay and the other half be split between Downtown Core Area Public Realm Improvement Fund and the Downtown Heritage Buildings Seismic Upgrade Fund.
Concert’s proposed mixed-use building would include rental units and condominiums as well as a commercial kitchen with restaurant, fitness centre, bistropub and a variety of other services to allow people to age in place. Concert acquired the highprofile property at 701 Belleville St. for $10 million.
The plan also includes a multipurpose rooftop gathering place as well as garden plots, atop the project’s five-storey podium.
To be called Tapestry, the steel and concrete building would include 131 market rental units and 42 condominiums. The condominiums would be located in the top six floors of the tower.
Concert has built three other Tapestry themed projects in Vancouver and Toronto.
The company also acquired the neighbouring Queen Victoria Hotel and turned it into rental apartments.