Saskatoon council unanimously approves 17-storey Broadway condo tower

City councillors in Saskatoon approved a 17-storey condominium and retail tower on Broadway Avenue, just across the bridge from downtown.

The high-rise at 604 and 610 Broadway Avenue will include two floors of retail, 112 condos and a three-floor underground parkade on what's currently a gravel parking lot next to the Broadway Roastery.

The space was left empty after an apartment block was demolished in 2003 and the Odd Fellows Hall was demolished in 2012.

"That particular location I think has been under-utilized and underdeveloped for decades so it's really exciting to see something being proposed there that's going to be very statuesque," said DeeAnn Mercier, executive director of the Broadway Business Improvement District (BID).

Mercier and the downtown business improvement district submitted letters of support for the high-rise, which developers classify as a nod to the series of high-rises under construction at River Landing downtown.

Some neighbours in a 12-storey condominium building say Victory Majors and Urban Capital, developers of the new building, have addressed concerns about shade and the potential loss of river views.

"It really isn't going to impact the views from our building very much," said Norm Dray, the chair of the Broadway Condominiums, at 611 University Drive.

Dray said he and other neighbours look forward to having more people grocery shopping in the area and keeping Broadway retailers in business.

Still, he said the "Broadway and 12th" building is too tall.

"A 17-storey building is really going to dominate the top of the bridge and we just think that that's a bit high," said Dray. "Something a little shorter would have been more in tune with the character of the area."

Neighbours concerned about congestion, impact on nearby buildings

Lynda Holland told the city she opposed the project, saying it would cause traffic congestion and potentially damage older buildings in the surrounding neighbourhood.

"When the city installed new sewer lines a year ago the heavy equipment caused damage to the plaster walls in the hallway," Holland wrote in an e-mail, noting her building on 12th Street is 106 years old.

"This is already a relatively high traffic area and more cars in and out would seriously disrupt traffic flow," she said.

The plans call for 141 underground vehicle parking spaces, with a single entrance and exit for vehicles through the back alley along Eastlake Avenue.

City planners said a geotechnical analysis confirmed the high-rise 'does not negatively impact the stability of the slope at this location'. 

Its construction still requires approval from the Meewasin Valley Authority.

In an e-mail to the city, another neighbour called the high-rise an 'exemplary' candidate for densification.

"Not only is the site situated near places of work and entertainment, making it an attractive location for buyers wanting a walkable life, but the proposed building would be a beautiful addition to the Saskatoon skyline," Dorian Resener wrote.

"I fear the quiet support for these initiatives is often overshadowed by the boisterous opposition to progress: often by groups who seek only to maintain the status quo in spite of the inevitable growth of our city."