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Could five downtown-area London parking lots be used for new housing development? The mayor and city staff are looking to find out.
Based on a commitment from Mayor Josh Morgan’s 2024 state of the city address, city staff are seeking council’s approval to open up several city-owned parking lots to development proposals for “high-density housing, while considering prioritized public parking needs.”
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Three lots in Old East Village at 641 Queens Ave., 434 Elizabeth St., and 824 Dundas St., and two in the SoHo neighbourhood at 84 Horton St. and 199 Ridout St were identified by staff as a priority for proposals.
“I’ve been on council long enough to know that surface level parking lots . . . is a very sensitive topic,” Morgan said. “Those (lots) might have more potential than we may be seeing, and the only way we’re going to find that out is if we actually take the time to investigate what that potential would be.”
A goal is for at least 10 per cent of any units built to be affordable, such as below average market rent or geared to income at 30 per cent of a household’s annual income, the staff report reads.
Staff note that 19 city-owned parking lots in the core were identified and studied based on their size and shape, if they had water and wastewater service, railway or floodplain setbacks, and more.
Among the 19 lots, 12 did not meet the guidelines. The Budweiser Gardens lot at 99 Dundas St., for example, also was removed so as not to affect the venue’s operations or an upcoming renovation.
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Morgan already opened a bid for proposals for the parking lot at 185 Queens Ave. in February. He declined to comment on any progress, saying he prefers to stay at an arms-length.
The selected lots still have challenges. For 641 Queens and 434 Elizabeth, the report acknowledges their awkward “saw-tooth shape” surrounding heritage buildings, and limited water and wastewater service. Their location close to Dundas Street, however, lends itself to low and mid-rise development, the report says.
The 824 Dundas St. lot, which includes the Ontario Court of justice, also could be developed, but moving the court elsewhere would require further study.
The lots at 84 Horton St. and 199 Ridout St. often are underutilized and serve mainly as parking for London Hydro employees and overflow parking for Budweiser Gardens, the report says.
Staff recommend the sites be developed as one, partly to offset the fact that much of the Ridout lot is in a flood plain. Staff also say there is known site contamination at Ridout.
Public parking is encouraged to be included in any redevelopment, but it may not be needed at the levels currently offered, with staff saying several of the lots are underused.
Despite some of the challenges the lots present, Morgan said any city procurement process can be tailored to the site. For instance, the contaminated soil at Ridout is capped, meaning covered, and development can still be possible.
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