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LONDON: A unique waterfront property is set to be converted into a multi-generational apartment complex.

City councillors and members of the public got a chance Monday to hear from the developer about ambitious plans to build an eight-storey building at Orillia’s waterfront.

They also had a chance to ask questions and raise concerns — although just two residents spoke.

Following Monday’s public meeting, a zoning bylaw amendment for the proposed eight-storey, mixed-use building at 70 Front St. N. will be considered at the next available council meeting.

Under city policy, the request will undergo a consideration period of 14 days before a decision is made, with the earliest possible date for council consideration falling on Oct. 3.

Developers Fram+Slokker are seeking an amendment that will allow the development to exceed the six storeys permitted by the city’s planning policy.

While the city’s official plan permits a maximum of eight storeys within its downtown intensification area, a zoning bylaw amendment is required by the city for projects exceeding six storeys to ensure they are vetted in the public domain.

Developers presented the project to council members and viewing public Monday afternoon.

The municipal lands near 70 Front St. N. were sold to Fram+Slokker in April 2022 following a lengthy process that began several years earlier when the city purchased the site known as the Metro Plaza.

The proposed eight-storey building would be part of a larger waterfront redevelopment project and includes 97 residential units, four live-work units, and retail units.

The project proposes 112 parking spaces with access off Coldwater Road, with 15 designated for visitor and retail purposes.

In addition to the mixed-use, eight storey building, the project also proposes a row of townhouses on the southwest corner of the development.

Among the project’s goals are creating a pedestrian-friendly street front and connecting the downtown to the waterfront, developers said.

“There’s been a bit of a barrier between the town and the waterfront park and the marina,” said Carlo Odorico, an architect with Giannone Petricone Associates. “The main goals of the plan are to transform the site edges, the streets essentially, create a more positive pedestrian experience, and to connect the site and the north edge of downtown to the waterfront.”

In order to accomplish this, FRAM+Slokker plan to bring the building’s first two storeys close to the edges of Coldwater Road and Front Street.

“The idea was to essentially start with a two-storey building mass, placed close to the street edges, where we could then develop retail commercial storefronts close to the street. and flip the parking in behind the building,” said Odorico. “Above this two-storey podium, we then added a six-storey, L-shaped residential component.”

Odorico highlighted Orillia’s “history of brick architecture, both old and new” as inspiration for the development’s design.

Two residents made comments at the meeting.

Peter Caldwell applauded the project’s efficient use of land and its potential to make Orillia a “more vibrant, great place to live,” suggesting more of the same type of development should come to the city in the future.

“This is exactly the kind of mixed-use housing that should be built in downtown Orillia. In fact we would like to see more such buildings constructed in the future, whether condominium or rental apartments,” he said. “Taller residential buildings of up to 10 storeys are a much more land efficient way to house people rather than through urban sprawl.”

Caldwell said the development will provide a range of much-needed housing units for people of all ages and with all types of accessibility needs.

“As we know, Orillia has a significant housing shortage of all types. There’s an even bigger shortage of accessible housing. There are two-, three-, and four-storey apartment and condo buildings throughout Orillia that don’t have elevators and are inaccessible to people who are mobility impaired,” he said. “Buildings like 70 Front St. N. are part of the solution.”

Resident Jim Bremer wondered whether the project’s eight stories would impact future developments and the view of the waterfront.

“Eight stories, listening, makes a lot of sense, but my knee-jerk reaction is that eight storeys is quite high, and I’m just wondering about future development,” he said.

“As you go westward, there’s a hill, and does that slope allow for buildings to look over the eight-storey building, or should it be restricted to the bylaw’s six?” he wondered. “My concern is eight storeys, at the low point, requires people going up the hill to also request that type of elevation.”

The city’s senior planner, Jeff Duggan, responded that any project proposal exceeding six storeys will be subject to similar vetting processes.

“Six storeys to the west of this area is limited at that height, so six storeys would be the maximum,” he said. “Anything exceeding would be required to undertake a similar planning exercise, that being that the application would be vetted in the public domain and reviewed against any applicable planning policies.”

Council members raised numerous questions about the project’s accessibility features, affordable housing components, visual impact, and sustainability features.

Coun. Pat Hehn questioned what features will be made available for seniors and those with accessibility needs.

“I’m wondering if some of your units would be wheelchair accessible, and built so that people that have arthritic hands can open doors, or can manoeuvre around,” she said.

“We will have 15 per cent of the units designed with accessibility standards, so there will probably be at least 14, 15 units as a minimum design for wheelchair access,” replied Fred Serrafero, vice president of development and construction at FRAM Building Group. “We have actually considerable experience … we’ve built about eight (senior condo homes) here in the GTA, so we’re very, very familiar.”

Coun. Jay Fallis asked a number of questions, such as why the developers chose to include townhouses in the broader project and about the potential for affordable housing.

Serrafero said more intensification could take place on the site, but FRAM+Slokker view the inclusion of townhomes as making the development “more efficient” overall.

He said affordable housing is a “huge issue” but did not commit to a number of affordable units for the project.

“There is no simple solution. I think it always has to be a collaborative effort between the public and the private sector,” Serrafero said. “This particular condo will have some units … ranging from maybe 600 to about over 1,000 square feet. We’ll try to keep some of the units at an affordable level.

“It’s not the intent to have a community just for one specific person or group of people.”

Coun. Tim Lauer questioned how mechanical fixtures on the roof of the building would appear from the elevated portions of town.

“I’m wondering what mitigation are we looking at here for folks that do not want to look down at our beautiful waterfront and see only HVAC and mechanical?” he asked.

“We do screen any rooftop mechanical equipment, so it has become the norm just about everywhere,” said Serrafero.

“There’s the potential for possibly adding a green roof, as well, to the top of the building – we can look at that and how that plays out, and then looking down at the third floor it’s actually all landscaped amenity terrace,” added Odorico.

Coun. David Campbell asked for FRAM+Slokker’s assurance that sustainable building practices will be considered, and Coun. Ralph Cipolla inquired about the possibility of electric vehicle charging stations for the development.

Serrafero said the organization has registered with Sustainable Orillia and looks forward to working with residents on sustainable features for the development.

“We actually registered with Sustainable Orillia … (and) we look forward to engaging … the association,” he said. “We would be more than happy to do a presentation, or even maybe a workshop to discuss some of the opportunity and some of (our) experience with it.”

Regarding charging stations, Serrafero highlighted that a low proportion of current cars on the road are electric, but said the organization is open to including stations as a possibility.

“Ontario, I think we’re sitting at 2 per cent of all cars being an electric vehicle … so it’s a growing market,” he said. “We do start providing either the rough-ins for people to put it in later, or at time of sale or time of selection people come back and we do offer the full level two charger for people to purchase.”