By Pepper Parr
June 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It will be 19 storeys high, and be a purpose built residential building that will have a significant amount of affordable housing.
Developer wants shovels in the ground this summer.
And directly across the street from City Hall
Council spent a considerable amount of time debating the development which will have .66 parking spaces per unit.
There will be 140 1 bedroom units; 58 two bedroom units and 3 three bedroom units.
The developer, who got their funding from Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), was under a tight deadline if the funding was to be in place.
We found it interesting that when the spokes person for the developer was giving the presentation to Council none of the drawings or renderings were shown. We will dig those out for you.
The timeline – they would like to have shovels in the ground during this summer.
We now know why Kelly’s Bake Shop was give the required notice to vacate – just 60 days.
We also know that the location of the Bake Shoppe will be a door leading to a stairwell in the new building that has yet to be given a name.
A 19 storey structure with 201 units – 25% will be designated as affordable housing.
More to follow.
Kelly!! The truth always prevails! The greed, lies & bully tactics revealed. Keep your head high & wise as you do ♥️
Jennifer Jamieson
If the rent for a two bedroom unit is not below the $1,900 mark, then these will not be affordable apartments.
I joined the FocusBurlington mailing list two weeks ago and I’ve been periodically checking their website. Over the past two weeks there have been major traffic issues, a staff report to Council supporting “Manhattan” in the Old Lakeshore precinct, a mandatory meeting with Council-supported reduced parking allotments on the building across from City Hall, an unbelievable request by the AGB for a new $116 million dollar capital rebuild, the out of control/always short of funds Sound of Music and much, much more. Lots of material for comment but not a peep out of the new action group. The posts on their website have end of May dates but are really much older. They’re all articles that appeared on the former BRAG website, which I used to enjoy. I know that it takes time to start but why put up a website of stale posts? I wonder whether there’s really much use in these community action groups.
Well, it would seem that FocusBurlington also reads the Gazette. Later this afternoon, after having left my critical comment in the morning, I received two long and apparently well-researched articles by Mr. Eric Stern. So, in all fairness I must say that FocusBurlington, although slow to begin has indeed begun. I look forward to reading future posts. Hopefully, this new group will represent the interests of those of us who believe in fiscal responsibility and safe, stable communities.
I just love the word “affordable”. What is meant by “affordable”?
I also love when the development includes ” 140 – 1 bedroom units, 58 – 2 bedroom units, and 3- 3bedroom units”. This means nothing until they list the square footage that is being allowed for these units, and the cost per square foot.
Last but not least .66 parking spots per unit. Do you know anyone who has a .66 of a car?
The reason that there were no” drawings or renderings were shown” was probably because they don’t really exist as final drawings. Good luck finding these.
How many times have we seen developers go back to council to try to change the number of units, the size of the units and the number of parking spaces “because the market has changed”.
Once again I will sound like a broken record – developers develop and it is up the council to protect through Official Plans etc to protect the areas of our city that need to be and to be able to defend these policies when necessary.
Past councils didn’t seem to have the foresight to do this and now we are dealing with reality of their lack of vision.
I believe that the term “affordable” is virtually meaningless. To my knowledge no parameters have been established around the definition. Perhaps, the term “available” is more accurate; units that can be acquired for a price.
Shame on this community for allowing the tear down of a heritage building and the closing of a business that brought so much to downtown Burlington.
Thank you Pepper for giving a truthful article as to what happened to 401 Brant Street.