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We need to increase permitted building heights in the Downtown area. Share your thoughts on where and how taller buildings may be appropriate. Attend our December 9, 2024 open house, or complete two activities to share your thoughts by January 12, 2025.
Our survey, titled "tell us a TALL tale" focuses on your thoughts around design considerations in taller buildings and placements
Our mapping activity uncovers your thoughts around where shorter, mid-sized and taller buildings belong in the Downtown
Here We Grow!
In response to the need to meet our new population density target of 200 people and jobs per hectare in the downtown by 2051, we must revisit the current maximum building heights for Downtown as set out by the Downtown Secondary Plan (2015). This study aims to understand where and how new, taller buildings can be permitted in the downtown and what design considerations will be required.
We're asking some simple questions with complicated impacts:
What is tall in the context of Downtown Guelph?
Should the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate influence the height limits in Downtown Guelph?
What are the positive or negative impacts of additional building height in different locations throughout Downtown?
We will use answers to these questions from the community, combined with information from experts in the field and best practices from other communities to make necessary amendments to the Official Plan and create updates to the downtown built form standards.
Share how you want to grow your downtown?
In person
Come out to public open house scheduled for December 9 at City Hall (1 Carden Street, Guelph). Drop in any time between 6 and 8 p.m. to learn more and speak with the project team
Online
Share your thoughts right here between December 9 and January 12. We need to hear from you through two different activities:
Put pins in our digital map to show where different height buildings may be appropriate.
Contact us for more information or to share your thoughts with the project team directly.
Brenna Mackinnon, Project Manager, Policy Planning Planning and Building Services 519-822-1260 extension 4153 brenna.mackinnon@guelph.ca
Stacey Laughlin, Downtown Revitalization Advisor Economic Development and Tourism15 519.822.1260 extension 2327 stacey.laughlin@guelph.ca
We need to increase permitted building heights in the Downtown area. Share your thoughts on where and how taller buildings may be appropriate. Attend our December 9, 2024 open house, or complete two activities to share your thoughts by January 12, 2025.
Our survey, titled "tell us a TALL tale" focuses on your thoughts around design considerations in taller buildings and placements
Our mapping activity uncovers your thoughts around where shorter, mid-sized and taller buildings belong in the Downtown
Here We Grow!
In response to the need to meet our new population density target of 200 people and jobs per hectare in the downtown by 2051, we must revisit the current maximum building heights for Downtown as set out by the Downtown Secondary Plan (2015). This study aims to understand where and how new, taller buildings can be permitted in the downtown and what design considerations will be required.
We're asking some simple questions with complicated impacts:
What is tall in the context of Downtown Guelph?
Should the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate influence the height limits in Downtown Guelph?
What are the positive or negative impacts of additional building height in different locations throughout Downtown?
We will use answers to these questions from the community, combined with information from experts in the field and best practices from other communities to make necessary amendments to the Official Plan and create updates to the downtown built form standards.
Share how you want to grow your downtown?
In person
Come out to public open house scheduled for December 9 at City Hall (1 Carden Street, Guelph). Drop in any time between 6 and 8 p.m. to learn more and speak with the project team
Online
Share your thoughts right here between December 9 and January 12. We need to hear from you through two different activities:
In December 2023, City Council directed staff to undertake a study to approve additional heights in the Downtown Area. Currently, the maximum height of buildings in Downtown has been influenced by the topography (i.e., the height of the ground in different areas), with taller buildings generally built at lower elevations. This study will explore which areas of the Downtown can support greater building heights. Design standards for tall buildings across the city will also be developed.
The City has an ambitious goal of almost doubling our Downtown density to accommodate 200 people and jobs per hectare by 2051 (currently 109 people and jobs per hectare). Beyond ensuring that Downtown can functionally manage the added height and density through infrastructure studies, we are also looking at what taller buildings will feel like in our Downtown and how they will impact the people in Guelph.
Please take five to ten minutes to share your thoughts on which areas may be appropriate for taller buildings and what design guidance those taller buildings may need so Downtown can still feel like the Guelph you love today.
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Page last updated: 12 Dec 2024, 07:43 AM
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Lifecycle
Identifying opportunities for taller buildings
Downtown Height Study is currently at this stage
Between December 9 and January 19, we want to hear from you to help inform where taller buildings may be permitted in the downtown and what building standards are necessary to make that extra height feel right.
Under Review
this is an upcoming stage for Downtown Height Study
We will review your feedback and share what we heard in the first round of engagement early in 2025. These findings will be combined with research, best practices and other consultations to develop proposed changes to where and how taller buildings may be permitted in Guelph.
Share your comments on the draft revised official plan and built form standards
this is an upcoming stage for Downtown Height Study
Watch for more information in the spring of 2025. We'll be back to share draft content for the revised official plan and built form standards. We will be seeking your thoughts, comments and questions again soon.
Final report
this is an upcoming stage for Downtown Height Study
We will share back what we heard and and let you know when the final drafts will go to Council in the late spring or early summer 2025.
