31 Alexandra Ave | ?m | 14 fl | Proposed

[rangersfan]

31 Alexandra Ave
31 Alexandra Ave
Developer: Auburn Developments
Project: 14-storey, 152 unit, residential building with townhouse units facing Alexandra Avenue and William Street




location



current site conditions

[rangersfan]

High Heat
April 24, 2013 | James Jackson | Waterloo Chronicle | LINK

Residents of the City of Waterloo are asking the city to reconsider two major developments currently under review by staff.
Councillors heard details of the buildings Monday evening at a pair of informal public hearings.

The first was a 14-storey, 152-unit apartment tower with six street-level townhomes located at 31 Alexandra Ave., near uptown Waterloo. The building has been in the city’s system since 2003 and it also came to council in 2008.

“I can’t see how anyone can say with a straight face that this structure, which encompasses the entire property, is integrative and compatible with the surrounding low-density uses,” said Ray Blackport, who lives at 56 Alexandra Ave. He said the majority of the buildings around the proposed site are brick, single-resident homes.

More than a dozen residents also attended Monday’s meeting.

“The project has been shoehorned onto the property and is well beyond the scale that fits the surrounding area.”

The project, which would be completed by Auburn Development, is requesting a zone change for exemptions on surface parking requirements, density and property setbacks. The west side of the building would abut right up to the property line, within 4.5 metres of the Alexandra school condos.

Concerns raised by council include shading of nearby buildings, traffic impact and greenspace allocation.
A recent traffic study suggested the building, which would have underground parking accessible from Park Street, would add 77 and 94 vehicle trips to morning and evening peak hour traffic.

Ryan Mounsey, development planner for the city, said the building was not predicted to worsen current traffic conditions in the neighbourhood, but may divert traffic into surrounding neighbourhoods.

He also said the design was close to meeting the city’s shading requirements.

The developer also plans to build a rooftop terrace for building residents to enjoy.

The second development considered by council is a mixed-use building on what is currently 312 to 320 Spruce St. in the Northdale neighbourhood.
The 23-story structure, proposed by In8 Developments, would have 199 units and 274 bedrooms, as well as about 2,700 square feet of commercial and office space on the first two floors. It occupies almost one acre of land.

The developer said they were targeting not only students, but young professionals and recent grads. The units will range from 500 to 927 square feet and every unit has already been sold.

Resident Leo Zub, who owns property at 311 Regina St., questioned the recent increase in high-density developments in Northdale. He proposed council consider a moratorium on new high-rise apartments.

“Is there genuine concern to fill a need, or are we overdoing it?” he asked.

“Northdale is not running away, it’ll still be here 100 years from now.”

Since both discussions were part of informal public meetings, council made no decisions.

[rangersfan]

Council approves Alexandra Ave. condos
June 25, 2014 | James Jackson | Waterloo Chronicle | LINK

City council narrowly approved a 14-storey condo development at 31 Alexandra Ave. Monday, a project that’s been in the works for more than a decade.
Councillors voted 3-2 in favour of the building despite vocal concerns from area residents and business owners about the size, shape, traffic, the close proximity to neighbouring property lines and the potential for damage, and the possible shadow impacts of the development.

Coun. Scott Witmer offered a blunt assessment of those concerns, stating the city is in the position of having to grow up instead of out, and that means intensification and larger buildings.

“We are running out of places to put people,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s where we are.”

Ward Coun. Melissa Durrell, who voted against the project along with Coun. Mark Whaley, said the project hasn’t come far enough.

“In the end I feel the building is just too big for the space that’s there,” Durrell said. Councillors Diane Freeman and Karen Scian were absent for the vote.
Initially proposed as a 10-storey, 128-unit apartment in 2003 along with two levels of underground parking, the project was revised in 2008 and again in 2013, but faced public resistance each time.

The new design includes 14 storeys, 152 units, a three-floor podium consisting of townhouses at each end and parking for vehicles, and one to 1.5 levels of underground parking, pending a hydrogeologic study of the water table. The site will include 228 total parking spaces.

A traffic study suggests the site will have minimal impact on the traffic that is already in the area, but residents and Durrell had their doubts. The study suggested the building would only add between 47 and 54 vehicles to the road during peak hours of the day.

Staff said the design was a reasonable compromise considering the zoning could allow for a 25-storey structure, and the builder had taken steps to integrate the design of the townhouses fronting onto Alexandra Street into the existing design of the former Alexandra school condos next door.
Area residents filled the council chamber Monday night to express their concerns with the development.

“This is my third time before council and the building is getting larger, not smaller,” said resident Ray Blackport. “It’s still too large for the site. I understand staff are in a difficult position, but it seems the scales are seemingly tipped in favour of the developers.”

Bob Crow, who lives in the neighbouring condo in the former Alexandra school, is worried about the concrete wall residents will have to look at and the loss of sunlight. He suggested putting the project on hold until a full study could be complete of the water table and to see if the parking could be lowered deeper into the ground to reduce the overall height of the proposed building.

The property, currently a parking lot, is located on a wellhead protection area and the region is concerned about potential groundwater contamination, said Ryan Mounsey, a development planner with the city.

Since the development last came to council in April 2013 for an informal meeting, the developer has held two open houses with the public.
Coun. Angela Vieth thanked the developer for all the work they had done on the project and reminded those in the crowd the building could have ultimately been 25 storeys tall under the current zoning.

“I’m confident when it comes to site plan review it will work,” Vieth said.

[Spokes]

What are the chances this place breaks ground in the next two years? I say less than 10%

[The85]

Given Auburn's length of time spent on The Arrow Lofts and BarrelYards and getting those two projects off the ground, I would say your prediction is a safe one.

[schooner77]

This thread has been inactive for quite sometime. I passed by the Alexandra Ave parking lot over the weekend and noticed a sign up for rezoning of the plot. I walk by here quite a bit and didn't know if that was new or not. Has anyone heard anything new on this development?

[panamaniac]

The zoning was changed over a year ago, was it not?

[Markster]

Here's hoping for a redesign that doesn't put the pedestrian entrance at the longest walk possible from LRT and Uptown.

Huh, I guess most of the discussion on this one happened back on WonderfulWaterloo.

[timio]

That sign has been up for more than a year.

[notmyfriends]

What are the chances this place breaks ground in the next two years?  I say less than 10%

Looks like you won. Care to go for another 2 years?

[tomh009]

I don't expect that Auburn is in any hurry with this. They'll surely want to make more progress with the Barrelyards first, and there is still a lot of work to be done there.

I do like the renders, maybe we'll see this start in the 2019-2020 timeframe.

[Spokes]

What are the chances this place breaks ground in the next two years?  I say less than 10%

Looks like you won. Care to go for another 2 years?

I am a gambling man.  I'd be stunned if there was something there in 5.