Count em – five buildings at 20 storeys each – on Fairview next to the Go station – another Molinaro Group project.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  October 10, 2012   The lot has been empty for a long time – it sits there next to the Wal-Mart store just south of the GO Station.  At a recent council committee Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison suggested the Molinaro Group make one of the buildings an office tower – not a chance, the Molinaro boys know where the profit is.

While there are just five 20 storey structures – take a look at all those three and four storey levels. 

It’s going to be condominiums with some rental in all five of the 20 storey towers that were approved for the site some time ago by the Ontario Municipal Board.

The previous owners sold the land to the Molinaro’s who are ready to meet with the community and talk about what they want to put up.

Bunton’s Wharf – a Molinaro Group project, one of several that created a condo community in Burlington.

Spencer’s Landing – located on Maple and Lakeshore Road – a part of the community that has been good to and good for the Molinaro Group. They have a new project at Brock and Elgin that will see shovels in the ground this month.

These guys know how to get a building up.  Is there anything in Burlington they didn’t build? Look at the list:  The Strata on Maple; 360 on Pearl, The Bunton’s Wharf, Spencer’s Landing and the Baxter; that is an impressive list. And they are about to break ground on the project over on Brock.  For the most part the Molinaro Group gets their projects through the community process.  The Brock project gave them some indigestion and they appear to have learned something from that exercise and are holding a public meeting at the Performing Arts Centre on October 25th at 7:00 pm.

Now if the Molinaro Group sets out a selection of some fine Italian wine or opts instead for an open bar – this project will just sail through.

But it is located within Ward 2 and that’s Meed Ward territory and she will have something to say about the street scape, the amenities and the impact the five structures are going to have on the local community and the wider community as well.  A plaza is planned for the site.

Sitting to the immediate south of the GO station with a chance that there will be a direct link into the GO station; this Molinaro Group project could become very popular, very quickly. Average unit size is said to be 700 sq. ft.

Proposed as a 1000 + condo development the buildings will certainly help the city (if not put them over) the intensification the province is calling for,  Many might be quite happy to see a forest of buildings go in as long as they aren’t just plain ugly to keep an infill being done in their neighbourhoods.

The range of units will run from affordable to luxury with the average size coming in at 700 square feet.  That suggests this isn’t going to be a building aimed at families but rather singles that want to be mobile and able to get onto a GO train in minutes and be in Toronto.

The people over at the Molinaro Group are quick to learn the language city hall needs to hear.  During Council Workshops on development of the downtown core the phrase “mobility hub” came to the surface – a hub being a place where the various type of transportation come together.  And in Burlington transportation is a combination of the GO trains and the highway.  With this project the GO station is across the street and the highway is a couple of left turns away.  This is a done deal!

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8 comments to Count em – five buildings at 20 storeys each – on Fairview next to the Go station – another Molinaro Group project.

  • Brad Boles

    As I quote from the article “And in Burlington transportation is a combination of the GO trains and the highway. With this project the GO station is across the street and the highway is a couple of left turns away.”
    You can’t use the highway if you don’t have a car. It is not particle to think that people without cars would want to live there. There is not enough in the direct area to walk to. Unless all occupants of the unit work in Toronto most likely one person would have to drive to their place of employment.

  • Brad Boles

    Who has done the study for noise? These buildings will impact reflected sounds of the trains and the already congested Fairview street traffic in that area.

    Editors note: Good questions: There is a public meeting at which the questions can be asked. The Ward Councillor would also like to know what you think and the questions you want asked.

  • Fred McFaul

    Is there now a forecasted price range of the condos, in today’s dollars?

    • Vince Molinaro

      Hi Fred,

      It’s a little early in the process for pricing as we are not yet Site Plan approved but I hope to have an answer for you soon.

      Kind Regards,

      Vince Molinaro

  • Bill Coucher

    You provded my point. Each municipality can set their own parking requirement – there is no provincial standard obviously. Since it apparently wasnt clear the first time.

    The MARKET in the vast majority of municipalities in Ontario demands at least 1 parking space per unit in order to sell units. I am referring of course to the housing market. Most municipalities have a requirement in their highly dense downtown cores of 1 unit of parking for every housing unit and 1.5 units of visitor parking for so many units and 1.5 units of visitor parking for X% of office / commercial space.
    Therefore, I am saying that good luck selling these units without parking which is demanded by the MARKET in more dense urban markets.
    To be blunt Pepper – if the market in the cities immediately around Toronto demands 1 unit of parking per unit what do tyou think the market will demand FURTHER AWAY in a suburban market.

    Why did I have to explain it to you in such detail for you to understand?

    • Chris Ariens

      The market is changing. Having a car (and all of its attendant costs) is no longer the marker of freedom it used to be.

      If the developer thinks it can sell units with less than one parking space per unit, let them. They should be the ones who know the market best, because they are putting up the funds. There’s no need for the city to dictate parking requirements to them…stick to things like ensuring that the built form is respectful of the neighbourhood and pedestrian friendly.

    • Vince Molinaro

      We actually meet all the parking requirements + more as per the City of Burlington’s by-laws. Not sure where you got the idea that we would be deficient in parking but I hope this helps answer your question.

      Kind Regards,

      Vince Molinaro

  • Billy Coucher

    I hate to have to educate you on this but study after study and any builder you would ask will tel lyou that the market demands at least one parking space per unit sold. Other more densly populated markets cannot sell a unit without at least one space.
    Try doing some more homework next time.

    Editor’s note: Actually you are incorrect. In Toronto there are high rise buildings with no parking. In Burlington a builder can make an application for fewer parking spaces in exchange for some other amenity. There is no hard and fast, one size fits all rule.