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
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse 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.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.