Artist's concept drawing of the residential high rise building proposed for 3030 St. Joseph Blvd. COURTESY RLA ARCHITECTURE

(Editor's Note: The original story that appeared in the Oct. 31 edition of The Orléans Star has the wrong date for the public information session. The correct date is Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.)

The City of Ottawa and the Torgan Group have released the revised plan for a mixed use high rise building at the southwest corner of St. Joseph Blvd. and Duford Drive.

The Toronto-based developer had initially proposed a 13 storey building accommodating 144 apartment dwellings on top of a ground floor designated retail and commercial, but during a public meeting held in January 2018, a number of comments from area residents forced the developer and their architect to go back to the drawing board.

What they came up with is a new design with a much thinner profile, however, they have added an additional two storeys and 21 apartment uints.

The land where the tower is being proposed has been zoned Arterial Mainstreet which allows for an eight storey building with a maximum height of 25 metres. The developer has applied for a a variance to allow for a 16-storey building with a height of 52 metres.

Queenswood Heights residents living on top of Duford Drive have voiced concerns about the proposed height of the building and the impact it will have on their view of the Ottawa River and the additional traffic it will produce on St. Joseph Blvd.

Most of the comments posted on the Queenswood Heights Community Association Facebook page either ask why other sites on St. Joseph Blvd. aren't being considered for the apartment tower, or they voice their support for demands that some of the apartment units be designated for affordable housing and/or dwellings for seniors.

Orléans Ward councillor Matt Luloff fully supports the development. During last year's municipal election he campaigned on bringing more residential and mixed use development to Orléans' unofficial "Main Street".

"We need to attract business back into our core, ensure our seniors have a place to downsize and provide affordable, convenient housing close to transit, all while redesigning and modernizing our main street," Luloff wrote in a recent post. "We need transformative change and 3030 St. Joseph represents the beginning of this change. I like the new designs and feel that they represent exactly what we need to accomplish."

Area residents will be able to comment on the revised project at an information session on Nov. 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Ray Friel Centre

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)