By Pepper Parr
September 11th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Saturday afternoon in the city. Weather was great but the streets in the core were quiet – patios weren’t’ all that populated and that place to be seen on the north side of Lakeshore Road west of Brant was very quiet – you could actually get a seat.
Slide down into Spencer Smith Park and head west and there were line-ups more than a block long – people waiting to get into the Food Truck Festival.
The lineups to get into the Food Truck Festival were long but they moved very quickly.
The line moved quickly – security was keeping a count on the number of people who would be let into the fenced in area. There was an entrance and an exit gate. Inside, all kinds of people – but it wasn’t packed – the objective was to make that six foot distance thing possible.
Great crowds – but no overcrowding. Security ensured that the count was kept at a safe level.
While downtown, one wants to check on the construction sites and see how the high rise developments are doing.
Spent a couple of minutes in front of the Waterfront Hotel site to try and get a sense as to just how close to the sidewalk those 30 and 24 story buildings would be.
The first four levels would be at about where the red arrow is on the photograph. It isn’t clear how far back on the four level podium the towers would be. Lakeshore will never be the same – you won’t be able to see or feel the lake.
If there ever was an iconic location – Spencer Smith Park and the lake are it for Burlington. Done the right way the site could put the city on the map as a destination. Few feel the ideas being floated are the right thing for the city.
The red line is where the north wall of the four level podium would be located. Atop the podium would be 26 storeys of housing.
Each tower would sit atop a four level podium. There would be an open space between the two towers that would be at about where John Street is – that opening would give a glimpse of the lake – the property has a steep grade – much like the one at the Bridgewater development a block to the east.
Named The Gallery – the Carriage Gate development is well underway. Four floors in place, underground garage completed – 22 more to go.
The 28 storey tower Carnacelli development is growing level by level. Four levels have been poured – 22 to go. Occupancy is said to be sometime in 2022 – at that time citizens will get to know what a high rise building is and what it feels like to have one opposite city hall.
