Bridgewater project at Riviera site progressing
The Bridgewater project was approved in 2006 with a 22-story condo, 7-storey condo and 7-storey hotel, & includes public waterfront access. Plans are for the hotel to be open for the Pan Am Games in 2015.
A number of residents have contacted me over the past year to ask when the old Riviera Hotel on Lakeshore Road would be torn down to make way for the new project approved for this site.
In 2006, council approved a 22 storey condo, 7-storey hotel, and 7-story condo on this site, with ground floor retail and a central courtyard open to the public leading to a walkway along the waterfront. The walkway has already been built but is still in private hands pending the completion of the development.
The project has stalled a number of times over the years due to a variety of factors, including the economic downturn and finding suitable developers and hotel partners.
Renamed Bridgewater, the project is now proceeding and the property owner – Mayrose-Tycon – has recently applied to the Committee of Adjustment for several minor variances, including one extra storey on the hotel to accommodate administrative uses, and reduced parking for the hotel (under current rules, the hotel would not need to provide any parking, but some is still being planned). The goal is to complete the hotel portion of the project in time for the Pan Am Games in 2015.
A four-star hotel partner has been confirmed; the builder is still being finalized. The Riviera Hotel will be demolished in coordination with the start of construction.
Your take: What’s your view of the Bridgewater project? Let me know here or leave a comment below.
My take: Though my preference is not to see highrises on the waterfront, this project has already been approved. The benefits of the project include retail, public waterfront access, and a four-star hotel, not to mention replacing the run-down eyesore that currently sits on this key parcel in our downtown waterfront.
