As Mayor Tom Dyas noted at Monday鈥檚 (May 27) meeting, stalled construction at a downtown heritage site has become a 鈥渂it of an eye-sore鈥� and is an emotional issue for council.

Plans by the Mark Anthony Group to build a 12-storey boutique hotel on the former site of the Daily Courier, at the corner of Lawrence Avenue and Water Street, were dashed after negotiations with a neighbouring property fell through.

鈥淲e had a verbal agreement with the neighbour and when it came time to sign that agreement it fell apart,鈥� Slava Korshunov, with Mark Anthony Group, told council. 鈥淲e were quite upset, we still want to build a hotel eventually.鈥�

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Previous to that was a plan for a wine education centre approved by the city in 2020 but scrapped after the group could not obtain a liquor license.

The lot has sat empty since with a crane on site and the heritage facade of the building supported by scaffolding. The current application is a four-storey mixed-use building.

鈥淲e are studying multiple options,鈥� Korshunov added. 鈥淚t needs to make financial sense for the company and it needs to make sense for the city.鈥�

Zoning limits the building to three storeys, so an amendment is required to allow four storeys. Councillor Charlie Hodge questioned staff about the proposed heights of the different applications.

鈥淥ur primary concern is that equality development goes forward that incorporates the heritage facade there,鈥� Ryan Smith, director of planning and development said. 鈥淭here needs to be some flexibility to do that.鈥�

Hodge added there is a long history with previous councils to keep high-rises off that block.

鈥淐ouncils came and went and it was fought over adamantly by many residents to keep it at that low block.鈥�

Coun. Luke Stack also preferred a lower-height building and preserving the character of the area.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not three storeys as Coun. Hodge would like it, but it鈥檚 close. If they do a good job of maintaining the heritage facade I think it鈥檚 a good way forward.鈥�

Coun. Rick Webber was concerned that the building鈥檚 use isn鈥檛 defined by the applicant.

鈥淲e鈥檙e being asked to approve it and send it along its way and I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 a good idea.鈥�

Coun. Ron Cannan suggested staff work with the applicant鈥檚 neighbour to see what could be accomplished.

鈥淪omething that could be a win-win for the community because this is a landmark building.鈥�

Smith told council staff have been pushing the applicant to move forward with the project.

鈥淚鈥檓 confident that whether it鈥檚 the four-storey or a higher option that something of great quality could happen.鈥�

Coun. Loyal Wooldridge, while supporting the development going to a public hearing, was frustrated that the project has stalled for four years and that the current application is lacking in detail.

鈥淢y expectation would be higher quality renderings to know exactly what the vision of this would be. It鈥檚 been in scaffold for far too long.鈥�

Council voted to give the height amendment first reading and send the project to a public hearing with Hodge opposed.

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