Just the Facts:
● The proposed development at 808 & 836 Courtland Avenue East, led by 808 Courtland GP Inc., consists of three high-rise residential towers with 977 units, ranging from 22 to 30 storeys, all situated on a shared 6-storey podium with ground-floor commercial uses.
● The development includes 509 parking spaces, resulting in a parking ratio of 0.5 per unit, along with more than 3,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor amenity spaces for residents.
● The project requires zoning amendments from Arterial Commercial (C-6) and General Industrial (M-2) to High Rise Residential (RES-7), with site-specific provisions addressing parking, building setbacks, and floor space ratio adjustments.
KITCHENER — More information has been released regarding the proposed mixed-use development at 808 & 836 Courtland Avenue East.
The subject lands, which cover approximately 1.25 hectares with 121.3 metres of frontage along Courtland Avenue East, are designated as a ‘Delineated Built-Up Area’ under the Region of Waterloo Official Plan.
The lands are also identified in the City of Kitchener’s Official Plan as a ‘Protected Major Transit Station Area’ (MTSA) and are part of an ‘Arterial Corridor.’
The developer, 808 Courtland GP inc., proposes the construction of three high-rise residential towers atop a shared 6-storey podium, with portions of the podium reserved for commercial uses.
The lands are currently zoned Arterial Commercial (C-6) and General Industrial (M-2) with site-specific provisions.
The proposed development includes a total of 977 residential units across three towers of varying heights.
Tower A will rise 27 storeys (88.5 metres) and feature 269 units, Tower B will stand at 30 storeys (102.6 metres) with 418 units, and Tower C will be 22 storeys (77 metres) with 290 units.
The residential unit breakdown includes:
● 342 one-bedroom units,
● 469 one-bedroom plus den units,
● 156 two-bedroom units, and
● 10 three-bedroom units.
A portion of the podium will consist of three commercial units totalling 532.1 square metres of floor space, with pedestrian access along Courtland Avenue East.
The current zoning for the site allows for commercial and industrial uses, but the developer has applied for an Official Plan Amendment to redesignate the site to ‘High-Density Residential.’
A Zoning By-law Amendment is also being sought to rezone the property from C-6 and M-2 to High Rise Residential Seven (RES-7), with elements of the Strategic Growth Area Four (SGA-4) zone to accommodate the scale of the development.
The proposed zoning change would permit mixed-use high-rise residential developments.
In terms of parking, the development proposes 509 parking spaces, a ratio of 0.5 spaces per residential unit, well below the typical zoning requirement of 1 parking space per unit.
However, due to the site’s location within an MTSA, recent legislation (Bill 185 – Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024) removes the minimum parking requirement in such areas.
In addition, 733 bicycle parking spaces will be available throughout the development, promoting active transportation in line with regional and municipal goals.
The development has several amenities for residents. At-grade indoor amenities will cover 327.3 square metres on the first level of the podium.
In contrast, additional indoor amenity spaces of 166.3, 171.9, and 198.8 square metres will be located on the seventh floor of the towers.
Two common outdoor amenity terraces will each have approximately 1,000 square metres of space for residents to enjoy.
Despite compliance with several zoning requirements, the development will exceed the permitted floor space ratio (FSR) of 4, with a proposed FSR of 7.
The setback for Tower B is also proposed at 4.45 metres, slightly exceeding the minimum front yard setback requirement of 3 metres.
Further consultation with city staff will be required as the proposal progresses, and site-specific regulations are expected to be finalized to address any outstanding concerns related to urban design, site servicing, and landscaping.
The proposed development is anticipated to proceed as a single-phase project, subject to final site plan control approval.
To read more articles on this specific development, click here.
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