By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON October 21, 2012 It is hard at times to see the progress.
The plan for a “landmark” structure on the edge of the lake that was approved back in 1985 is finally going to see something happening on the site.
Sometime very soon that piece of construction equipment will begin taking down the Riviera Motel, long a Lakeshore Road icon. Later in the year construction of a seven storey Delta Hotel will begin so that it can be operational for the 2015 Pan Am games.
A piece of construction equipment with a large claw on it, sits beside the Riviera Motel waiting for a demolition permit to be issued before anything can come crashing down.
Earlier in the week more than 125 people took in a meeting that had the developers explaining what the next steps were for the development that will make a significant change to the look of the city from Lakeshore road.
That part of the waterfront east of Brant Street bound by the Old Lakeshore Road and Lakeshore Road has been seen by many as an incredible development opportunity. Here the view looks east along the Old Lakeshore Road. The Waterfront Advisory Committee was never able to come up with much in the way of ideas and was recently sunset by the city.
The development of this site will impact what gets done with the properties to the east, which have been the subject of much pondering and discussion at the Waterfront Access and Protection Advisory Committee (WAPAC). However that committee wasn’t able to come up with anything useful for city council to think about. They did have a very good idea, given to them by former Toronto Mayor David Crombie, to hold a design competition to bring forward some ideas and get more public involvement and participation in the decisions as to how best to develop the lakefront part of the city. While WAPAC made a valiant effort when the woman heading that effort, Sarah Banks, moved from Burlington and the momentum was lost and the idea died.
While the building will be tucked away behind a tall building on Lakeshore road it will bring more people into this part of the city. It will be a five minute walk from the pier.
The city held a “Lasting Impressions” ceremony in front of the Waterfront Hotel on Saturday to mark some milestones in the construction of the Pier.
The developers of the Riviera site will begin with the construction of a seven story Delta Hotel (they are asking Committee of Adjustment for an extra floor to make it an eight storey building which will make it as tall as the Waterfront Hotel to give you some sense of the scale)
A couple of blocks to the north the Reichmann Seniors Housing at Pearl & Pine is well underway. With the pier but a five minute walk away and an LCBO store across the street this will be a great place to retire.
You talk about the Delta Hotel wanting an extra floor, you fail to mention that they also want to provide 120 LESS parking spaces. A hotel who is going after convention, meeting and wedding business should not be taxing an already difficult parking situation in the core. At the very least they should be providing what they agreed to in 2006. I am well aware that the demands of Council have changed regarding parking in the core, but one should not be able to cherry pick – take what they want from the original approval and be granted something (less parking spaces) now because the rules have changed.
I have to wonder if this development would have been given approval in 2012?I doubt it.