Downtown development update – Medica One on hold

Carriagegate proposal at Caroline and John

The development proposal was approved in 2010 with an 8-storey medical centre, 8-storey parking garage and 17 storey apartment.

I recently met with our new City Manager Jeff Fielding and our Director of Planning Bruce Krushelnicki to discuss development activities in downtown Burlington. I will be providing a full update in the next edition of this newsletter, and in the city publication City Talk, which is mailed to homes across the city.

Of note is that the approvals have lapsed for the Medica One complex on Caroline, John, Elizabeth and Maria streets, featuring an 8-storey medical centre, 8-storey parking garage and 17 storey apartment. The developer, Carriage Gate Group, did not proceed with signing some necessary agreements required by the city so the approvals for the development have lapsed. Carriage Gate Group will be required to reapply and seek new approvals from City Council for the development. If and when they choose to do this, public engagement will be part of the process. I will keep you updated when I hear anything.

You can check the status of projects any time on the city’s website here.

My take: During our discussions I shared my perspective that we need to approach intensification downtown with a view toward diversity – reaching our targets through job creation, more semis and townhouses, and low rise development, instead of a focus on high-rise residential developments. In other words, we need to attract and encourage development that is compatible with the character of our existing community, and contributes to our onogoing prosperity. Our end goal should always be: “how does the community as a whole benefit from this project?”

Related posts:

burlington downtown waterfrontMultiple initiatives underway to ensure vibrant downtown Video: Burlington’s Downtown Parking Challenge
  • Edkolosky

    So relieved to hear this project may not happen. I walked by this spot on the weekend and shook my head at the proposal. This is not downtown TO. There should be no more than 5 storeys max here, on the border between single residential and the core. Development is a positive thing if its respectful. Fully support your views on development. Thank-you!

  • Deby

    Marianne  I can’t say I’m unhappy to hear this high rise development is on hold for the moment.  However, I hope it doesn’t mean they’re coming back with a proposal for a higher building.  It would really be a shame if downtown Burlington becomes an ugly high rise jungle as Toronto has become.  The most visited and walkable cities in the world have managed to control building heights which has made them extremely desirable vacation and living destinations.  Let’s think Paris, London, Amsterdam and Copenhagen here, not Toronto.

  • Bob Wilford

    I followed your pre councillor career as a local activist with interest and approval, and looked forward to your becoming a source of common sense where my tax dollars went.
    However the idiocy at City Hall continues.. Spend, spend, spend on new luxuries instead of basic infrastucture repairs and upgrades. I have a suggestion, turn the rotting train station into a planter, plant the ridiculous fake orchids in the planter and place it at the south end of the stupid pier and hope that a major storm sweeps all three disasters to the bottom of the lake. This would at least remove them from sight, and we can work on puting them out of mind.
    It seems that your motivation is running for Mayor, and although I’m sure you would be an improvment on the present imposter, as would almost anyone else, I beleive you should concentrate on your present obligations to us tax payers, and save your campaigning for later.

  • Marcia Stewart

    Great news!  Let’s hope any new application is revised and a limit of 4-5 stories is respected.  The intersection at John and Caroline is already a problem for cars and pedestrians.  We don’t need more density here.  

  • Movinin

    I’m moving into the neighbourhood and hope that the builders are required to build more low density housing. Part of the charm of downtown Burlington is that it doesn’t contain glass eye-sores the way Toronto does. Thank you for keeping an eye on these developers and thinking of the people who just want to live on a human scale.