KITCHENER — In September of 2023, Council approved a change to a development proposal at 332 Charles Street East for an extra 116 units and ten extra storeys from Vive Developments’ original proposal of 17 storeys and 163 units.
Vive is also proposing two ground-floor commercial units for the development, and the residential units would range from 1-2 bedrooms per unit.
The revised application now has almost double the unit count, with 279 residential rental units and 27 storeys. The last-minute change brought to Council provides affordable units for the development while also providing extra building density.
The proposal offers 32 units deemed affordable for 21 years, for which the rent will not rise above 80% of the current market value.
The 32 units are equivalent to about 11.5% of the building’s total unit count, whereas developers usually offer 5%.
The 332 Charles Street East property currently has a commercial building that houses stray cats, known as the Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue organization. Vive would demolish the existing building to allow the development to take place.
The development proposal requested an Official Plan and Zoning By-Law amendments for the two properties involved in the proposal for the highrise, which sits at 332 Charles Street East and the unaddressed property directly behind it, which is vacant, are both owned by Vive.
The subject lands are within an MTSA, approximately 250m from the Kitchener Market ION Station stop.
The neighbourhood comprises low-high-rise, mixed-use residential, commercial, and institutional buildings.
Designated ‘Mixed-Use Corridor,’ the designation allows for residential options on the properties along with commercial and institutional use.
Also, the subject lands are currently zoned ‘High Intensity Mixed Use Corridor Zone’ (MU-3) with no maximum building height restrictions but permit a maximum FSR (floor space ratio) of 4.0.
Vive requested Special Policy and Special Regulation Provisions to permit an increase in FSR up to 14 (an increase from 9.8 in the original proposal), permit building setbacks, allow for a decrease in the required parking spaces, and require a minimum 4.5m building height for the ground floor commercial spaces to enhance the streetscape, all of which Council members approved.
A Holding Provision has also been applied to the subject lands to ensure any matters related to noise, site servicing, and urban design for the properties are addressed before it can be lifted.
This development will provide the city with a higher-density housing option that uses existing infrastructure efficiently, providing much-needed housing for the community.
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