A hotel-rental hybrid tower hopes to take over Burlington’s waterfront
As expected, the project has sparked heated debate among locals
A new 23-storey hotel-apartment combo has been proposed on the shore of Lake Ontario, but—surprise!—this time in Burlington, not downtown Toronto. Designed by Neuf Architect(e)s for Vrancor, the tower would add 154 hotel rooms and 50 residential units, with the potential for commercial and office space too.
Related: Two huge towers near the Eglinton Crosstown may soon replace a block of suburban houses
The site in question, at 2076 Old Lakeshore Road, is currently occupied by the former Marquis Lakeside Inn, a motel with one- and two-storey buildings plus a parking lot. It backs onto the lake, so the proposed plan includes an extension of the waterfront trail.
At 23 storeys, the building would be roughly the same height as several neighbouring towers, such as the Nautique Lakefront Residences to the north. Its design is defined by bronze detailing, inspired by various heritage buildings in downtown Burlington.
Like the rest of the GTHA, Burlington is in dire need of rental units and density, so the proposed project has generally been welcomed by locals.
But, also like the rest of the GTHA, the city has its share of NIMBYs. An Instagram post on the development by local city councillor Lisa Kearns invited plenty of negative comments. One user, @corrigansusanmillicent, wrote, “No thanks. The music from the patio and smells from the food [won’t be] appealing at all.” Another commenter worried about how the tower would affect traffic and congestion in the area.
Looks like Burlington and Toronto aren’t so different after all.
Andrea Yu is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. She reports on a wide variety of topics including business, real estate, culture, design, health, food, drink and travel. Aside from Toronto Life, her writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Cottage Life.
