Farhi Developments’ tower faces growing opposition on eve of council decision
Wearing shirts emblazoned with ‘No Skyscrapers at the Forks’, opponents of a proposal to build a high rise building immediately behind one of London’s most historic streetscapes held a rally on Monday evening.
A rezoning application by Farhi Developments seeks to build a 40-storey high rise at 435-451 Ridout Street that would include 280 residential units, commercial, and office space.
Despite the property’s proximity to the flood plain, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) has also approved the building design, albeit with a number of conditions.
Opposition to the proposal, however, appears to be gaining momentum.
“To put a 40-storey tower where at present only four stories is allowed, that’s ten times taller,” explained Kelley McKeating, President of ACO London.
McKeating added that almost 900 signatures have been gathered on an online petition opposing the rezoning request.
Two weeks ago, city hall’s Planning and Environment Committee recommended (4-1) approval of the rezoning, based on a recommendation by city planners.
A report to the committee concluded that the proposal satisfies the policies included in The London Plan, the city’s official plan.
No Skyscrapers at the Forks rally in London, Ont. on June 14, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV London)
No Skyscrapers at the Forks rally in London, Ont. on June 14, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV London)
Londoners at the rally, however, argued the tower would be immediately behind ‘Banker’s Row’, a series of yellow-brick buildings dating back to 1838 that originally housed five bank headquarters.
It’s one of only four National Historic Sites in London.
The building would also be next door to Eldon House (1834), the city’s oldest residence, and overlook Harris Park and the Forks of the Thames.
“It’s not just so-called ‘heritage advocates’ who really care about this most historic street in London,” explains McKeating. “We don’t want to see a 40-storey skyscraper towering over it.”
Those participating in the rally pointed to the large parking lot directly across Ridout, which is owned by Farhi Holdings, as a much more appropriate location.
No Skyscrapers at the Forks rally in London, Ont. on June 14, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV London)
McKeating adds that policies intended to protect heritage buildings should be council’s priority, including parts of The London Plan.
“We are just asking them to follow their own rules and deny the rezoning application.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.