Brakes on Breithaupt: Tower vote deferred

What a difference a week makes: Kitchener council buys time, puts off vote until June 25

KITCHENER — In a reversal of its decision a week ago, Kitchener council voted to buy more time to try and find some middle ground on a proposal to build the controversial Breithaupt office tower.

Council voted 7-3 this week to defer a vote on the third phase of the Breithaupt Block until June 25.

A week earlier, councillors had voted 6-4 to approve the development, which would put a 60-metre office tower within 31.5 metres of Wellington Street, which is lined with single-family homes.

Residents came out in droves to object to the proposal, saying the tower and an adjacent five-storey parking garage were too close to nearby homes.

They also objected to the proposed height of the tower; because the office tower has 4.5-metre ceilings, its 12 storeys are the equivalent of a 20-storey residential tower.

Coun. Frank Etherington, who moved the deferral, said the issue “is one of the biggest development challenges this council has faced for some time.”

The deferral is intended “to allow further discussion and negotiations between neighbourhood residents, city planners and developers,” he said.

Residents and councillors praised Perimeter Development Corp., the developer behind the project, saying the company has enhanced the city with several highquality developments such as the Walper

Hotel renovations, and the award-winning “glass box,” now home to Google’s Canadian engineering head office.

Perimeter partner Craig Beattie made it clear he opposed the deferral.

“We’ve gone through this process in good faith throughout, and I think have made a lot of effort to put forth a top-quality project,” he told council on Monday night. “We think we’ve followed the steps we’ve been required to do.”

“There’s no doubt a mixed view on the result, and hopefully there’ll be some discussion between now and June 25,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.