Tall & Urban News

Many on Guelph City Council think a proposal to build the tallest building the city has ever seen is just too tall. Some see the 25-story building being proposed for 70 Fountain Street as a sign of modern times that would help energize Downtown Guelph and create needed housing inventory. Others see it as incompatible with the neighborhood.

The application for the tower to be built on the fringe of the city’s downtown made its first appearance in council chambers on the night of 10 February 2020 at a planning meeting to receive the report.

“The height is a significant concern” for many people, including some members of the council, Councilor Leanne Piper said, pointing out that the city’s Downtown Secondary Plan, which limits the site to six stories, was put in place for a reason. “It’s not something I would support at this stage of the game,” she added.

“It’s much too high,” said Councilor Dominique O’Rourke.

“I do have a concern about the height. I think that it might be a little too tall,” said Councilor Bob Bell. “The fact that it is too high doesn’t make it a bad application, we need jobs downtown.” He added that the appropriate height would be between 12 and 20 stories.

Mayor Cam Guthrie agreed that the project is too tall. He encouraged the developer to host another open house with the public. “I will not support 25 stories. I will not,” he said.

The tower would include retail on the ground floor, four stories of offices, and the rest to be 180 one- and two-bedroom apartment units across from Guelph Police Headquarters. Guelph’s Skyline is behind the project through its development arm, Skydevco Inc.

Skydevco planning consultant Hugh Handy told the council that there would be 300 to 350 jobs in the building (Skyline employees) and over 300 residents.

The proposal includes ground-floor commercial use and underground parking with 207 spaces. The building is also relatively thin, 660 square meters per floor, which Handy says is 30 to 50 percent less than other tall buildings downtown. The apartments are small, ranging from 550 square feet to 650 square feet.

“The existing building walls and this is important, are to be saved and raised into this new building and podium,” he said.

The Council only received the staff report on the application on 10 February 2020. Staff will come back with a recommendation, perhaps after some mutually agreed-upon changes to the proposal.

The meeting on 10 February 2020 spent over three hours discussing the proposal. Skydevco President Greg Jones said the height is “entirely appropriate” when compared to what is happening to new developments springing up near transit hubs in other cities. Downtown Guelph Business Association executive director Marty Williams spoke in favor of what the development was trying to achieve on behalf of 600 businesses in Downtown Guelph his organization represents.

“It seems to me in hindsight, this piece of property should be so much more,” Williams said of the height limit imposed on the site 10 years ago.

“We have a clear divide between our business community and our residents,” Councilor James Gordon said, asking Williams how that pro/con divide gets solved.

“I suppose the easy answer is ‘that’s your job,’” Williams replied to the councilor.

Williams said the proposal is the “beginning of a conversation” and now comes the job of working through the positives and finding a way to make the development work for as many as possible.

Councilor Cathy Downer said being proactive with updated guidelines is necessary rather than being reactive and “letting horses out of the gate” by dealing with applications on an individual basis. Downer said policy changes are necessary, not reacting to individual applications.

Jones said Skyline is touching on several city hot points including affordable housing, adjacency to public transit, heritage preservation and enhancement, and bringing people and jobs downtown.

“This project represents housing, jobs and sustainable growth that the rest of society desperately needs,” Skydevco President Greg Jones said.

There were a handful of questions for the developer from the council, regarding the wind study, what the term “purpose-built” meant (“built for a specific purpose”) and if a shorter, wider building was built would the same unit numbers be possible.

“If this were not approved would you go back to the drawing board” and look at six to eight stories? Councilor June Hofland asked. Jones said that the height range was not viable from a financial perspective.

Local delegates spoke both in favor and against the development at both the meeting and in correspondence to the council.

“Accepting this proposal sets a dangerous precedent,” said Tanya Gevaert.

Stuart Wren said he loves a quaint downtown “and I’d like to see it stay that way.”

Marie Case said that the proposal “feels like a vanity project” that shows a blatant disregard of what the city has already planned for that neighborhood.

Kate Nixon said high-rises like this only widen the disconnect between the various communities in the city.

“Do we really want to change the feel of what the downtown is?” asked Morgan Dandie Hannah.

“Guelph always seemed to be the little city that could. It had loads of charm. It is in danger of losing that in part to housing developments in all directions,” said Steve Girling.

“Nothing should exceed the height of our Church of our Lady, nor block the view or this church. Guelph character and charm are at risk. If this is approved, it opens the way for more,” said Annette Pederson

“It is imperative that you and city council maintain the integrity of the planning process. To do otherwise makes your administration anti-democratic,” said Robin Schafer

Norman Harrison, the one-time planner with the City of Guelph said it was too bad “that the company has so many good intentions and the money to do it, apparently, but happens to have such a very small property to try to keep up with the ideas they have.”

“Mixing heritage properties with smart and innovative construction shows a city that not only has a foot in the past but also stepping forward into the future,” said Jeff and Susan Bousfield.

“We believe that this proposal would be an excellent addition to our community,” said the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.

“We need more rental stock in the city,” said retired University of Guelph professor Jane Londerville. “This site is ideal for mixed-use development.”

For more on this story, go to GuelphToday.com.