Marianne Meed Ward
The city has received an application from the Molinaro Group for a 22-story highrise at the corner of Ontario and Brock, addresses 490 – 492 Brock Ave and 1298 Ontario St.
The Molinaro Group has applied for Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendment applications to permit a 22-storey (including a one-storey rooftop amenity area) mixed-use building with 170 residential units and 186 square metres of ground floor retail commercial space; four levels of underground parking. Vehicle access would be from Ontario Street.
A public meeting on the application is scheduled for Sept. 27, Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 7-9pm. A letter will be sent to residents in the vicinity of the site once details are finalized and the application is deemed complete with all required studies submitted.
A website has been set up to provide updates on the application as it moves through the review process. (Molinaro Group: Brock & Ontario) Technical studies submitted by the applicant are posted here, as well as details of public meetings, staff reports and other information. You can sign up on this page to receive email “alerts” when new information is posted about this development (click the “subscribe to this page” button, top right corner). The review and decision-making process takes roughly six months. Staff can recommend approval, rejection or approval with modifications. Ultimately council will decide on the application. Residents are encouraged to provide your input throughout the process. Details for how to do that will be shared on this website and in the monthly newsletter..
The Molinaro group previously built the adjacent 14-storey highrise at the Brock/Elgin intersection, where their corporate head office is located.
To check the status of all in-progress developments in Ward 2 visit: Current development projects in Ward Two
My Take: This application will have to be reviewed for height, traffic, parking, setbacks, greenspace and other amenities. We must ensure an appropriately-sized development for this site and neighbourhood, recognizing it is surrounded on three sides by highrises of varying heights. Once all the studies are done and the review by staff is complete, we’ll be in a better position to assess the most appropriate development here.
I understand why we need more housing in Burlington, but what boggles my mind is why builders are allowed to build above 20 storeys when any fireman will tell you that their aerial ladders will on reach the 11th floor. maybe council should watch the movie Towering Inferno, with Steve McQueen starring in the lead role. God forbid we have a disaster like they had in England awhile back.
I think I am with the majority here. Certainly we understand that more building is going to happen in the downtown core. On principal I am not opposed to a high rise building on that site. My only concern is that traffic on Ontario Street is already near capacity. All you have to do is sit at Ontario and Hager to see that the flow of traffic is continuous.
How are we possibly going to manage the number of extra cars on this street?
Why are they aloud to put there sign up in front of Burlington water front sign
One final point to consider here is WHY have the proposed driveway exit at the N end on Ontario St. tying up traffic with THREE exits within 50 feet of each other when the building will be completely merged beside the other Molinaro bldg. at 472 Brock and corner of Elgin.
When the house on Ontario St W boundary is removed then a COMPLETE ENTRANCE / EXIT driveway can be utilized by removing approx 25 feet of fencing on S boundary and hook the 2 sections together so that building traffic can AVOID ONTARIO ST by employing their existing driveway at 472 and use EITHER Brock or Elgin as ENTRY / EXIT points.
This to me seems the most sensible plan to satisfy nearby residents and be a moderate change at very little extra cost to impliment. It reduces traffic concerns and switches them to a more open area
Being a new comer to Burlington I really have no knowledge of the policies of this city yet. Having said that one of the reasons I settled here was the lovely atmosphere of Downtown Burlington, and the water front, still looking beautiful.
I live in Burlington Towers, all three buildings exiting onto Ontario Street from two Driveways. There is an Apartment on Elgin Street which has a driveway almost across from one of the tower exits an apartment on the corner of Ontario and Maple has an exit across from our other driveway. This new apartment will make the fifth driveway within one small block of Ontario Street plus a traffic light onto Maple.
I hope this is seriously taken into consideration when approving such a large development.
To clarify our concerns please note the following ……… It is not so much that we will have a view blockage BUT RATHER that a 3rd driveway will be added WITHIN 50 ft. OF EACH OTHER TO HANDLE in addition to regular traffic a focal point for approx 1,000 cars entering and exiting ONTARIO st. EVERY day with having no turning radius other than blocking the street and resulting in NO FIRE ACCESS for FIRE DEPT. vehicles or EMS ambulances etc. in addition to Delivery and MOVING VANS.
This problem can only be addressed NOW before it BEGINS! A revised plan has to change access / exiting to Brock St. and NOT involve Ontario St. To the council and residents …….. FIGHT SO IT’S RIGHT !
My greatest concern is parking availability. Our surface lots cannot effectively accommodate the downtown needs. One visitor parking space to every four units is a concern. Made worse when builders sell those designated spots to the residents. (Thus, having two spots rather than the one they purchase with their condo). I would like to know if any of the parking spots offered in the 4 stories are for the public and staff members who will occupy the commercial space. And if so, will there be any way to control the abuse?
I am a downtown, small business owner who’s clients are inconvenienced daily by our lack of parking availability.
I think intensification is unavoidable , if we are not smarter about the decisions we are making, many of our small business owners will continue to go out of business during this transition period.
we need to continue to speak up and get involved.
Why is it 22 stories that’s higher than anything around it, including its sister building beside it. Ontario is a main street with huge traffic flow. Again OMB and city hall thinking out of their asses again.
With this plan there would be 5 driveways exiting onto Ontario St. There are currently 2 from Burlington Towers ,1 from the condos on south side of Ontario and one from the apartments facing Elgin. Traffic is already too heavy with cars exiting Maple and cutting thru to Brant. This plan would create far too much density in this area.
It would appear that developers and the OMB do run Burlington. Residents/council don’t see to have any control over their own city. So sad to have this lovely community turned in to a mini Toronto with the downtown being overloaded with concrete towers. Am sure intensification was not meant to block the lake, clog the roads, etc. The saddest sight is to drive along Lakeshore, come into the split and see nothing but the concrete of the Bridgewater on one side and 360 Pearl on the other. It will be like going through a tunnel and will only get worse if ADI gets their tower.
I agree that Molinaro definitely has some in with City Hall. The 14 storey building was 4 storeys higher than it was originally going to be. The traffic congestion alone is getting out of hand on Ontario Street. Sometimes impossible to get out of west driveway of Burl. Towers because of left turn lane on to Maple Ave. and cars will not allow you through. Ten storeys would be too high but acceptable. If 22 storeys is allowed then guess what will go in when remaining homes sell off. Also, there is very little parking for these new projects so where do you suppose their visitors end up parking? I sincerely hope that the meeting at the Performing Arts Centre on the 27th of September is filled with the residents that are upset, I am sure there are many!
This proposal is too unrealistic to fit in to the available space on the NW corner of that intersection as apart from the 170 units they want a FOUR level underground garage accessed to and from Ontario St. when there already is a public lot on the NE corner. The 3 Burlington Tower bldgs. across Ontario St. have TWO driveway entrance / exits on Ontario as well as there being another for the bldg.to the W on the S side so HOW will traffic be directed when already cars have to criss cross a SINGLE lane just yards away from the Maple Ave stoplight
Ontario St. is already used by too many cars avoiding the Lakeshore and travelling well over the speed limit. Has ANYONE here driven in downtown Toronto recently ? They have turned it into a joke for anybody to try and move around there and now we have the same proposals put forward to limit us. For the developer it is a no lose situation ………… if he is turned down he will just re-shuffle the cards and come up with another one.
I am extremely disappointed that anyone would be allowed to insert another immense high rise building on a block that is almost completely high rises already. Local residents that I have spoken to were hoping for something low rise, perhaps townhouses on the Brock/Ontario corner and for possible redevelopment in future of the houses that are still standing on Ontario St. Another imposing building will completely surround us by high rise buildings in an area that is congested already. Not appropriate at all for the site. Quality of life in downtown is really being negatively affected by too many high rise buildings.
apartment building – ok – can’t get away from it – but 22 storeys – totally out of keeping with the surroundings. 12 – 14 storeys is enough!
Not happy, this building would cut off my beautiful view of the lake and all the sail boats.
Definite NO. 14 was too many. Investors do NOT run Burlington!
it’s disgusting !
How many more of these monoliths are we are going to have to put up with in Downtown Burlington. It is so depressing and disappointing😦😥😧😠😠😠
It will never end until they disband OMB. Check Joan Littles column today !
no more highrises – they built the condo behind Burlington Towers, then the rental in front, and now they want another that is even higher the the 1st 2 building???!! No way! I thought there was a height limit in downtown Burlington. Why I Molinaro always allowed to build outside of that limit. Stop ruining the neighbourhood. Please. Build a greenspace instead. or a parking lot for waterfront events.