New addition to London skyline would rank among region’s tallest buildings
The high-rise building boom in downtown London, Ont. shows no sign of slowing down.
Holoway Lodging, the owner of the DoubleTree by Hilton, is seeking to rezone the property where its parking garage stands at the northwest corner of King and Waterloo streets.
An application submitted to city hall seeks permission to build a 35-storey, 435 unit, mixed use residential building at 300-320 King Street.
“Thirty-five [storeys], that’s a big tall building!” said neighbour Mike Couture. “We need that kind of development downtown and to support the businesses.”
Towering 110 meters above the ground, the new building would be among the tallest in southwestern Ontario.
However, a skyscraper on that specific property creates a unique challenge.
The parking garage that would be demolished to accommodate a new skyscraper in London, Ont. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)
It would block a line-of-sight communications signal from the top of the City Centre building to London Police Services headquarters in Old East Village.
A consultant’s report recommends either installing a relay link or relocating all the police communications equipment onto the new building.
“We need to make [downtown] a community where people live if we are going to see downtown revitalization,” explained Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis.
Speaking about London’s housing targets to address the current crisis, Lewis said the southeast area of downtown London is in need of intensification.
He’d like to see more applications for parking lots and underutilized properties near the RBC Place Convention Centre.
“This is exactly the type of development that was envisioned when King Street was designated as a rapid transit corridor,” he said. “This is not only a win for our housing targets, but in terms of the overall burden on infrastructure and what it means for the property taxpayer — it’s a win for them as well.
The rezoning request for the 35-storey high rise will be considered by city council in the new year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
'Don't expect any deals:' Expert says stores may not offer steep discounts on post-Easter chocolate
Those looking to snap up cheap treats at their local grocery store next week following the Easter long weekend could be in for a bit of a surprise as the rising cost of cocoa continues to drive up the price of chocolate, one expert says.