Two tall towers proposed for former A’burg high school grounds
Amherstburg council will consider making an amendment to the town’s official plan to allow Valente Development Corp. to build two towers – one eight floors and one 11 – on the lands of the former General Amherst High School.
The development would allow for residential, office and commercial spaces and would see part of the facade of the old high school restored.
The official plan amendment would change the designation of the land from institutional to general commercial to permit the development, including what would become Amherstburg’s tallest building.
Peter Valente, of Valente Developments, unveiled the conceptual design at Amherstburg council April 29.
The two towers would contain a total of 144 units that would step back as they rise from pedestrian walkways to provide an impression of less imposing buildings.
“My wife and I also plan to make our home in one of the condominiums,” Valente told councillors. “We’re not just building a project, we’re becoming part of this community.
“We’re eager to transform this site into something positive and meaningful for the entire town.”
The development would provide a significant tax base for the town, and is the third redevelopment of a school in the area by his company, Valente said.
It’s within walking distance of grocery shops, the waterfront and the King’s Navy Yard.
“This is one of the most ambitious projects we have undertaken to date,” Valente said. “Our vision includes a vibrant mix of office and commercial space, a full-service fitness facility, a new restaurant and even the possibility of a boutique hotel.”
The town has previously suggested there is a possibility the civic hall could be moved to the property in the future.
“We’re eager to transform this site into something positive and meaningful for the entire town,” Valente said, adding he hopes it “becomes one of the most sensational ones we’ve done to date.”
Dan Zaleski, principal design expert, said efforts have been made to make the building have a lesser presence for pedestrians.
“We’ve made every conscious decision on how to make the building lightly sit in this context and make it feel, as a pedestrian, as though it doesn’t have this presence that everybody thinks an eight-story might have, or an 11-story.”
There will be 6,000 sq. ft. for a restaurant and up to 12,000 sq. ft. of commercial and office space on two floors.
The development includes 79 units along Sandwich Street and the rest along an adjacent park.
“We targeted 144 units in total. When you have this much investment into a building, that was the ideal number to try and hit,” Zaleski said. “We could lower the tower but the tower would then get larger in its footprint. We chose to go a little higher and go a little bit more elegant and to try to keep the base and the heaviness of the building at a minimum.”
The development is still at its conceptual stage, without a final design, said Tracey Pillon-Abbs, a land-use planner.
Current height limits are five stories for residential and eight stories for commercial, hence the need for the official plan amendment, she said.
The property will have 262 parking spaces, 1.5 times the amount required by the town.
Several delegations appeared before council with concerns about traffic, building heights and parking.
But traffic shouldn’t be an issue, said Aaron Blada, with RC Spencer Associates.
He said the development should only generate an additional 300 vehicles at peak hours, about one extra vehicle every five minutes, which should be “virtually imperceptible,” he said.
The developers will now work with the town’s heritage committee to achieve a specific designation. A report and recommendation by planners is expected to come back to council at a future date.
05/03/2025 – Two tall towers proposed for former A’burg high school grounds – Windsor Star – Brian MacLeod, Photo by Dan Janisse
