A 24-storey tower could be built in a residential neighbourhood near the Lincoln Fields light rail station after Antilia Homes submitted an application to the city.
The 262 units would be built at 500 and 508 Edgeworth Ave. in the Woodpark community. The land is currently home to multiple low-rise residential dwellings that would be demolished to make way for the new building.
The design includes a four-storey podium that rises to nine storeys on the west side, allowing a transition in height from the surrounding low-rise neighbourhood.
Also adjacent to the property is an 11-storey apartment to the south, with a low-rise commercial plaza across the street. Directly behind the site to the west is greenspace and a multi-use pathway owned by the National Capital Commission.
“A primary element of the design is the integration of a 3-metre-wide Multi-Use Pathway (MUP) along the northern edge of the site, providing a crucial public connection between Edgeworth Avenue and the NCC lands to the west,” the design brief said. “Ground-level walk-up townhouse units front onto this pathway, contributing to a more animated and pedestrian-friendly edge.”
The pathway would run along the northern edge of the site and connect Edgeworth and the NCC pathway, while also providing residents access to the transit station.
The plans have faced criticism from nearby residents who are worried about infrastructure keeping up with the intensification.
“The city needs to think about safety and sidewalks, speed bumps and stop signs, and there are schools around there and kids,” said Trevor Proulx from the Mud Lake Community Association. “If you put a big building like that in, it should be off a main road like Richmond. I think it will be a little chaotic.”
Sue Milburn, president of the Woodpark Community Association, agrees. She said the neighbourhood is narrow, with ditches on both sides and aging plumbing underneath. Her concerns are how intensification could impact traffic on Carling Avenue, which is accessed by residents in her community constantly.
“It’s already a huge area for traffic for people that live in the neighbourhood because it’s the only place where you can actually have a left-hand green light to turn into the neighbourhood,” she said.
“People don’t want massive development. But if it’s going to happen, then you’ve got to do it right and you’ve got to invest in the neighbourhoods. Make sure we have the appropriate drinking water, we have sewage, we have runoff. We already have drainage problems,” Milburn added.
The entire Lincoln Fields community is set to see massive development over the coming decades. At the former shopping mall site, developer RioCan and RLA Architecture have submitted a concept plan to see upwards of 11 high-rises with mixed-use space built on the 6.5-hectare area. Most would range from nine to 40 storeys, with the tallest reaching 45 storeys.
Next door at 1299 Richmond Rd., there is a proposal to build two towers, 28 and 30 storeys respectively, with 588 units. A few blocks over at 1047 Richmond Rd., a high-rise mixed-use building with parkland has been proposed. And at 100 New Orchard Ave., there is a pending proposal to permit the development of a 14-storey residential high-rise.