CAMBRIDGE — A significant high-rise, mixed-use development is on the horizon for 506-510, 516 Hespeler Road, and 1000 Langs Drive, as proposed by Legion Heights Hespeler Road Inc.
The development plan outlines the construction of five 20-storey high-rise buildings, comprising approximately 1,366 residential units, along with 9,200 square metres of office and retail spaces.
The plan also includes the discussion of a public park. The irregularly shaped lands have frontages of approximately 155 metres along both Hespeler Road and Langs Drive.
The lands also have an area of approximately 4.5 hectares (11.4 acres) and a depth of around 220 metres.
The envisioned redevelopment encompasses a private road system interconnecting Langs Drive and Hespeler Road, facilitating access to the proposed buildings.
Buildings A, B, C, and D are slated to be residential towers over 6-storey podiums, offering a diverse mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom dwelling units. These buildings will provide 2-storey at-grade units with access to private roads.
Additionally, Building B will host commercial units at the ground level. Building E will accommodate a large-format retail space, one level of office spaces on the second floor, and a 4-storey ‘L’ shaped podium and residential units above.
Furthermore, the plan includes extensive amenities such as indoor amenity areas, outdoor rooftop spaces atop podiums, and landscaped areas throughout the site.
Servicing and loading functions will be internal to all buildings, with a 2-storey underground parking facility provided in Building E. The total number of parking spaces proposed has yet to be released.
An official plan amendment and a zoning by-law amendment are being pursued to accommodate the proposed development.
The subject lands, currently zoned as “Commercial (C4)” in the City of Cambridge Zoning By-law, are designated as “Urban Area” and “Built-up Area” in the Region of Waterloo Official Plan.
They are further designated as “Hespeler Road Mixed Use Corridor” and “Natural Open Space System” in the City of Cambridge Official Plan.
The proposed zoning change entails rezoning the subject lands from “Commercial (C4)” to a site-specific “Hespeler Road Mixed Use / High Density (HR-MU/HD)” zone, aligning with the emerging policies of the Draft Hespeler Road Corridor Secondary Plan.
Proposed site-specific amendments include adjustments to residential parking rates, building heights, and density requirements.
These amendments propose a residential parking rate of 1.22 spaces per unit, whereas 1.25 is required, a building height of 72.85m (20 storeys), whereas 38.0 metres (12-storeys) is permitted, and a residential density of 330 units per hectare, whereas 300 units per hectare is allowed.
The Official Plan amendment is required to request an increase in the maximum permitted density and redesignate the sites.
With an approximate residential density of 330 units per hectare, the development seeks to align with the emerging policies of the Draft Hespeler Road Corridor Secondary Plan, which permits 20 storeys in height and 330 units per hectare.
The amendment also seeks to redesignate the sites from “Hespeler Road Mixed Use Corridor” to “Mixed Use Medium Density (MUMD).”
The proposal is currently undergoing an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). A second Case Management Conference is scheduled for May 27, 2024, as the developer filed an appeal due to a lack of decision from the council on the development proposal.
Two additional parties were part of the OLT conference on March 14, 2024.
One of the parties was Air Liquide Canada Inc. (“ALC”), and the other was the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.
West of the subject lands, at 1139 Industrial Road, ALC operates an industrial warehouse and gas-filling operation, to which they have concerns with respect to land use conflict and compatibility for the proposed development.
Further details on the progress of the development are expected to emerge following this conference.
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