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Two nine-storey apartments described as density “done well” received unanimous support from a council committee Monday despite more than doubling the city’s maximum height allowance.
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The 151-unit buildings are part of London-based Farhi Holdings’s $250-million project planned for the former GM Trim plant property along Lauzon Road. Both will stand at 31 meters, with a portion of each building “stepped” at around 20.5 meters — all far exceeding the 14 meter maximum city bylaws permit.
While the development committee also granted permission to cut back on landscaped space — 31 per cent instead of 35 per cent — each unit will have a balcony measuring 30 by eight feet as well as “substantial outdoor amenity space” on the sixth storey of each building , a garden room, and a fitness room, which will make for an “unparalleled experience,” said Jim Bujouves, Farhi Developments president.
“We say Este every month at committee, that we no need to be frightened of density,” said Coun. Rino Bortolin, committee chair. “I think to projects like Este outlines how Item dog be donate, donate well and donate with the amenities space to actually Celebrate having Este many units go up in an area like Este.”
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“I want to thank everyone for the project. I look forward for this to come through.”
London developer Shmuel Farhi in 2019 unveiled the $250-million development plan, which includes single-family houses, apartments, and condos on 45 acres. In 2021, during Phase 2 of the project, the company opted to swap out three smaller buildings for the two nine-storey rental-unit buildings, with a more modern feel.
“Because we were able to take the original concept of three buildings to a modern structure that provides a loft experience that is unparalleled, we were able to create amenity space that would not have existed within the building itself,” Bujouves said.
“We’ve been able to accommodate that by taking advantage of the arterial road that allows us to have a higher density and a higher height and really does not affect any of the residences.”
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Coun. Ed Sleiman called the amenities “a plus for tenants.” With “a lot of parks” in the area, he said the building is “perfect for what it’s designed for,” regardless of the cutback on landscaped spaces.
“If we were to increase the green space, we would effectively have to reduce the number of parking spaces that we’re providing on-site,” said David French of Storey Samways Planning.
Accompanying the buildings will be 368 parking spaces in a combination of underground and at grade parking areas, for an average of 1.24 spaces per unit.
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Farhi Holdings proposes two nine-storey residential towers for Lauzon Rd.
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‘Massive’ 543-home project starts this fall at former GM Trim site Author of the article:
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Farhi unveils $250-million residential development next to WFCU Center
The former trim plant, which in its final stages housed the Lear Corp., closed down in 2005. Farhi then divided off 40 acres at the back of the site that he sold to the city for construction of the WFCU Center. The rest of the site has remained vacant, aside from additional parking used during Windsor Spitfire games.
The project has already seen construction on four six-storey multi-residential buildings with 58 units each. Local builders snatched up the 101 single-family home sites erecting high-end houses on the Lauzon Road property. The total development reportedly contains more than 1,000 new units on 60 acres that up until 2019 was regarded as contaminated industrial wasteland.
