Ontario Construction News staff writer
A Farhi Holdings Corp. is proposing a 40-storey tower with 280 units located behind the former Labatt headquarters at 441 Ridout St. N., part of three small brick buildings that date to 1838.
Also, York Developments plans a three-tower, 274-unit project at St. George and Ann streets, near Oxford and Richmond streets.
York assembled the parcel in 2017, and designs were announced at a recent meeting of city hall’s urban design peer review panel.
The triple towers will be marketed to students. Coun. Phil Squire, who represents residents north of Oxford Street, told the London Free Press that he believes the project may draw neighbourhood support from those who want fewer students living in single-family homes near Western University.
“It’s very preliminary to talk about how this will affect traffic and the neighbourhood, but the real issue is: Will it drain the student population around the neighbourhood?” Squire said in the newspaper.
“If it takes students from single-family homes, (neighbours) may see it as positive. From a neighborhood point of view, this will be very interesting.”
Farhi Developments, a division of Farhi Holdings Corp., is calling the development a “gateway” to the west side of the downtown.
Neighbours are being notified of Farhi Developments’ plans for 435-451 Ridout St. and comments on the proposal will be received by city hall until Jan. 22. A re-zoning application will go to council’s planning committee in the months afterward.
It’s not the only development planned for downtown. Old Oak is building three towers downtown, one at 515 Richmond St. and two at the former Camden Terrace site at Talbot and Dufferin streets, of which one will also be 40 storeys tall.
Tricar is building a 24-storey, 212-unit tower at 40 York St.