PROUD
TO OPPOSE NEW PORT TOWER- LAUNCHES SOS PART 2
Same Proposal Repackaged. No Negotiation. Residents
Want Appropriate Development PROUD, the volunteer
community organization, announced today the launch
of its second Save Our Seaport (SOS) Campaign
in two years to vigorously oppose a proposal by
developer PDVC and save historic Port Dalhousie
from inappropriate development. "We are extremely
disappointed. The components, density and square
footage have not changed from the previous tower
proposal and, even though we really tried to work
with them, the developers will not make any changes."
stated PROUD President David Bergen. "The
tower is shorter only because it has more condos
per floor and they have added a 7 or 8-storey
wing along Main Street. Overall design is more
attractive but, it is still much too massive.
Port will no longer be a village." Bergen
added.
"It is not only the same proposal repackaged
but, PDVC is asking for three types of Community
Improvement Plan (CIP) financial relief to pay
for all the community amenities they propose.
They will use our City's money to pay for enhancements
that make their development more attractive and...this
will significantly delay tax benefits the project
might have generated." added Treasurer Bruce
Cordner.
"The chart below compares the two proposals.
How different are they?" How naive do they
think St. Catharines' residents are?" continued
Cordner "and the figures are taken right
from the Executive Summaries and Parking/Traffic
Reviews in their two applications to the City."
COMPARISON OF PDVC TOWER PROPOSALS
| Component |
Old
Tower Proposal |
New
Tower Proposal |
| Modern Tower in Low-Rise
Heritage District |
Yes |
Yes |
| Highest Building in City
of St. Catharines |
Yes (328 feet) |
Yes (207 feet) |
| Number of Condos |
80 Condos |
80 Condos |
| Number of Hotel Rooms |
70 Rooms |
70 Rooms |
| Theatre Capacity |
415 Seats |
415 Seats |
| Retail/Bar/Restaurant/Office
Space |
36,132 sq. feet |
39,235 sq. feet |
| New Parking For Theatre
or Commercial |
None Provided |
None Provided |
PROUD fully supports appropriate development
of Port's Commercial Core and has recommended
to PDVC that they re-design their proposal to
be low-rise as called for by the Planning Regulations
and Heritage Guidelines. There is enough space
to allow PDVC to include most, if not all, of
their proposed condos in a low-rise building while
reducing the size of the other components. The
condos are the most profitable component so the
profit potential would still be quite high and
the low-rise project would not overwhelm the unique
heritage district and have a lesser impact on
the limited parking and traffic capacity. Unfortunately,
despite claiming "everything is negotiable"
PDVC has refused to make any changes to their
new (old) tower proposal.
PROUD (Port Realizing Our Unique Distinction)
is a Port Dalhousie community-based, volunteer
organization founded in 1999. PROUD spearheaded
the extensive community consultation process that
led to Port Dalhousie being designated as a Heritage
Conservation District under the Ontario Heritage
Act and has been leading the struggle against
proposals that we believe would forever alter
Port Dalhousie's historic character. Our over
500 members continue to support appropriate development
in the commercial core of Port Dalhousie, but
they overwhelmingly oppose a tower and the massive
scale of development proposed by the new PDVC
application.
Please contact: or visit www.saveport.ca
Bruce Cordner
Treasurer
PROUD Port Dalhousie
905-646-1264 |
