By Jen St Denis, on November 7, 2017
The rejection puts a chill on development across the city, said Anne McMullin, CEO of the Urban Development Institute, a developer lobby group. She said developers will no longer be able to trust the municipal planning process.
But Nathan Edelson, a former city planner, said the decision is within the purview of the senior city planner.
Last week, city council received a report on historic discrimination against Chinese immigrants by former municipal governments. Council approved recommendations in that report, including redesigning Memorial Square and applying for Chinatown to be a UNESCO heritage site. Increased building heights enacted in 2011 are now also being reconsidered.
“The significance of this site, especially with the coming down of the viaducts and its situation with memorial square, make it a very unique site and just on design reasons” the senior managers had the ability to reject the application, Edelson said.
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