Cambridge Mill Hotel | 38 & 24 fl | Proposed

[bravado]

I'm still amazed that this project seems to be continuing in the current financial climate:

https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news...th-9670114

Fencing went up around former apartments at 115 and 113 Water Street North earlier this month and demolition began this week.

The properties will be consolidated with land already cleared at the corner of Water and Simcoe streets to house what was originally pitched as a seven-storey parking garage serving the condo and hotel across the street.

The plan is to connect the parking garage to the hotel with a raised pedestrian walkway over Water Street North.

...

Over the last few years, Pearle Hospitality had been trying to work with the city on a plan to build affordable rental units above the parking structure, but due to challenges posed by provincial regulations, the company was unable to move forward on that idea, Meek said in an email to CambridgeToday.

"We remain optimistic that these obstacles which impact more than just this site, can be resolved at the provincial and city levels, allowing for much-needed housing, including affordable units, in the downtown core in the future," she wrote.

Much of Galt's core is within a floodplain special policy area that requires any zoning amendment for increased density to get approval from various provincial ministries, Meek said.

"Based on initial discussions with city and ministry staff, we understand that this approval process is complex, time-consuming, and does not guarantee that the ministries will provide the necessary sign-offs," Meek wrote.

"Considering that a large portion of Downtown Galt is within a special policy area, we hope the city can collaborate directly with the province to streamline this process to allow future planning applications for much-needed housing projects in the downtown cores of Cambridge."

This is the first I'm hearing about the idea of affordable housing on top of this parking structure. I look forward to Cambridge City Hall intentionally torpedoing it at the first opportunity.