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Peterborough City Council has approved rezoning at 90 Hunter Street East to allow a 17-storey mixed-use building alongside the continued use of the existing church on the site.
The development would include 205 residential apartments and 232 square metres of ground-floor commercial space on the western portion of the property, while the eastern portion would retain the Mark Street United Church on a smaller lot.
As council met inside City Hall to approve the development, a large group of protesters gathered outside to voice their concerns about the building.
Among the group was East City resident Lucy Dawson.
The property sits at the northwest corner of Hunter and Mark streets in the East City neighbourhood, an area currently dominated by low-rise commercial and residential buildings.
Recent nearby developments in the area include mid- and high-rise projects ranging from six to 12 storeys. Acknowledging those buildings, Dawson says they were respectfully built and are appropriate for East City.
Councillor Keith Riel, who is against the development, stopped to address the crowd of protesters on his way inside to the council meeting.
City staff say the project aligns with the Provincial Planning Statement and the City’s Official Plan, supports strategic objectives, and would contribute roughly 4% toward Peterborough’s target of 4,700 new dwellings by 2031.
The development is also intended to support complete communities by providing high-density housing on an underused portion of the property while allowing the church to continue operating.
(Written by: Scott Arnold with files from Jordan Mercier)
