Darko just might get his waterfront hotel - it won't be at the foot of Brant Street

By Pepper Parr

December 30^th, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

The football is still the hottest development site in the city.

What used to be the Ascot Motel, was sold a number of years ago.  Our understanding was that it was bought by the Vrancor Group.  We weren’t sure what the purpose was in purchasing the site, the owner of the motel was desperate to sell the property.

What was once the site of a motel is now expected to be the Hotel Darko Vranich has wanted on the lakefront.

At a special meeting of Council on January 6^th, we will learn that Planning has approved the development of 50 residential units and 154 hotel suites in a tower that will rise to 25 storeys and have four levels of underground parking serviced by two car elevators that will be serviced 24/7.

The purpose of the report going to Council on January 6th is to provide information on the proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment applications necessary for proceeding with the Statutory Public Meeting and present a recommendation on the proposed applications. Staff are recommending approval of the official plan and zoning by-law amendment applications for a 23-storey mixed-use building consisting of 154 hotel suites and 50 residential units. Staff note that the proposed development is considered 25 storeys according to the City’s Zoning By-law, which includes the mezzanine and mechanical penthouse as additional storeys.

Key findings:

• The applicants have applied for an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment to facilitate the development of a 23-storey (25 storey including mezzanine and mechanical penthouse) mixed use building. The proposal requires an amendment to the Official Plan to support the height and density that is contemplated, as well as an amendment to the Zoning By-law to provide relief of height, floor area ratio (FAR), parking and several setbacks. Staff are recommending approval of the proposed Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment based on the following:

o          The proposed amendments are consistent with the Provincial Planning Statement (2024);

o          The proposed amendments conform with the Regional Official Plan (2009, as amended), the Burlington Official Plan (1997) and the general intent of Burlington Official Plan (2020);

o          The proposed development maintains the general intent of Zoning By-law 2020.

• Staff is of the opinion that the proposed development represents good planning.

On September 18, 2025, the City acknowledged that a complete application had been received for an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment for 2076 Old Lakeshore Road.

A 23-storey (City’s Zoning By-law considers it a 25-storey building), will be comprised of 50 residential units and 154 hotel suites, with a total gross floor area of 13,914 square metres.

Rendering on the left is the Bridgewater development; the renderings in the venter are both in the approval stage. They are on the north and south sides of Old Lakeshore Road.. The rendering on the right is the proposed 25-storey tower that will have hotel and residential units. Emma’s Back Porch is to the east of the 25-storey tower.

The proposal includes four levels of underground parking, with 82 parking spaces accessed via two car elevators which would be serviced by a full-time valet. At grade, the parking will be accessed via a driveway on the east side of the site from Old Lakeshore Road, with a dedicated loading space immediately to the west of the parking access.

The encroachment of the existing motel building onto City owned lands would be remedied as the proposed development is fully contained within the limits of the property to be retained.

Planning Staff recognize that this area of Downtown Burlington has not developed in accordance with the policies, as originally adopted by Council in the 1997 of the Burlington Official Plan. This is because of previous site-specific Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) decisions for properties in the East Sector (2093-2101 Old Lakeshore Road and 2069-2100 Lakeshore Road and 2107 Old Lakeshore Road). Due to these OLT decisions and the surrounding development context, some of the policies are no longer achievable for the West Sector properties including:

• Assembly of lands from the Martha Street alignment to Waterfront East, consisting of lands within Area ‘A,’ including the Old Lakeshore Road allowance
• Martha Street alignment to meet Old Lakeshore Road;
• Construction of and dedication to a public authority, a public waterfront access that provides a connection between the Pearl Street extension and Lakeshore Road in the vicinity of a Martha Street extension;
• Closure of a portion of Old Lakeshore Road to achieve redevelopment and intensification.

The orange structure is the most recent development recommended by the City Planning Department.

Staff note that the view corridor from Martha Street to Lake Ontario, the provision of enhanced public spaces and the preservation of significant cultural heritage resources were achieved through the East Sector properties. The West Sector properties will provide enhanced public spaces through the implementation of the Downtown Streetscape for Lakeshore Road, Old Lakeshore Road and will enhance the waterfront trail.

Parking and Transportation

The City’s Official Plan directs that adequate off-street parking is accommodated for development proposals. In support of the application, a Traffic Impact Study (TIS) prepared by Paradigm, dated September 2025, was submitted for staff review. Transportation Planning staff

The Official Plan contains policy direction for development proposals along the waterfront to provide public open space and waterfront trail use, where feasible. This direction sets out that where the distance between the water and the public roadway will accommodate both the development and the Waterfront trail, the proponent will be required to dedicate lands below the stable top of bank and dedicate a 15-metre-wide strip of land above the stable top of bank to the City as part of parkland dedication.

While the applicants are proposing to dedicate the lands below the stable top of bank to the City, they are not proposing to dedicate the 15-metre strip above the stable top of bank. Staff is supportive of this approach, based on the following circumstances unique to this site:

The intent of the Official Plan to provide for and ensure public access to the waterfront is achieved through the proposed land dedication and waterfront trail;

The extension of the Waterfront Trail .

The distance between the water and the public roadway is not sufficient to allow the proposed development and the Waterfront Trail as originally envisioned by the policies. If the proposed development is not able to proceed, there is a chance that the proposed waterfront trail extension would not be realized;

The site has a challenging topography with a significant grade change between the front property line along Old Lakeshore Road and rear property line along the water’s edge. This will require erosion control, appropriate slopes and transitions, all of which would limit the useable area of the space for parkland;

Based on the site’s lot area, a 15-metre strip of land would far exceed the 10% of lot area that the City is able to require as part of parkland dedication under the Planning Act. The City would need to compensate the proponent for the difference; and,

The City is able to achieve an extension of the waterfront trail that will align with and match the existing trail configuration that currently exists to the west, at the rear of 2060 Lakeshore Road (i.e. Bridgewater Development).

Further, the proposed waterfront trail extension is located within the sloped area below stable top of bank and would not be accounted for as parkland. Parks staff has requested cash-in-lieu of the 15 metre parkland dedication required by the Official Plan, in addition to the dedication of the lands below the stable top of bank to the City and the construction of the waterfront trail extension.

Staff are in support of the application as it enhances the waterfront, extends the existing trails, and provides public access to Burlington’s waterfront.

Let’s hear what the planner has to say when he delegates and what Council members have to say when it comes to questions.