Skip to main content

City of Guelph downtown aerial view with sunset

Unfortunately, you can't participate in this project anymore because it has been archived

Downtown Height Study

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've been exploring the answers to 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 are using feedback from the community, combined with information from experts in the field and best practices from other communities to make a necessary amendment to the Official Plan and create updates to the downtown built form standards.

Please note: This project began in an older version of our website. Some of the tools and information may appear different than originally designed.

Who's Listening

Stacey Laughlin, Downtown Revitalization Advisor

stacey.laughlin@guelph.ca

Tracy Suerich

Tracy Suerich, Community Engagement Advisor, City of Guelph

tracy.suerich@guelph.ca

Notice of Adoption -Downtown Heights Study.pdf

(435.1 KB)

Recommended Official Plan Amendment-OPA 106- April 8 Council meeting.pdf

(660.7 KB)

April 8 2025 - Special Council Meeting- Background report_2.pdf

(31.2 MB)

Phase 1 and 2 Engagement Summary.pdf

(397.6 KB)

(2.9 MB)

Phases

Phases overview

Phase 1 - Community priorities

Where can taller buildings go?

Phase 2- Proposed Official Plan amendments

Phase 3 - Council OPA approval

Phase 4 - Built form Standards

Phase 2- Proposed Official Plan amendments

January 21, 2025 - February 16, 2025

What we did

Between January 21 and February 16, 2025, We shared the Draft Official Plan Amendments with the community to make sure we get it right. We invited you to share your comments with our project team. We will bring a finalized Official Plan Amendment to Council for consideration and adoption later this year.

We also held an open house for the community on February 4 at City Hall and presented to council at a statutory public meeting on February 11, 2025

Review the Draft OPA and the Open House display boards for more information.

What we heard

We combined feedback from the first and second phases of engagement into one summary. Check out what we heard.

Open house info boards Feb 4 2025-sm.pdf

(4.2 MB)

Draft Official Plan Amendment-2025-01-21.pdf

(788.5 KB)

Phase 1 and 2 Engagement Summary.pdf

(397.6 KB)

14 issues

User 5134751 year ago I would like to say I support this proposal. I'd also like to emphasis that I support the fast adoption of this proposal and to not waste time arguing over details.As much as I'd like every detailed considered and debated it will only delay the construction of more housing. Intentions to get every detail in this plan correct are great but we do more damage by delaying approval because Guelph residents desperately need more housing now! I say this as someone that lives in the Exhibition Park neighbourhood and I own a duplex in the catchment area of this study. Personally I stand to gain more through restrictive housing policies (no change to the height restrictions) as it drives rents higher (I'm a landlord of a building in the 2-4 storey zones which isn't proposed to change) but for the good of the people in the city we need to reduce or remove development regulations so we can build more housing at a much faster rate!

User 5184721 year ago

User 6002501 year ago I would like to express my objection to the increase of building height from 4 stories to 8 for the downtown secondary area, specifically for the property at the corner of London Road and Woolwich Street. The access to this property is a problem and to funnel vehicles down a narrow and one way Edwin Street would create an unsafe unmanageable parking and safety situation. In addition, I have concerns that a building of 8 floors around a neighbourhood of one and 2 story homes would create an unpleasant appearance, create shade and privacy issues for many homes in the impacted area. Also there are many home without driveways and with reduced developer parking requirements the impact on homeowners without driveways would be negative, and unfair.

User 6155361 year ago Hi there, I am a resident on Edwin Street and the 290 Woolwich street lot construction and future traffic is a major concern of mine. Especially with a higher density building. This tiny one way street cannot support increase traffic especially with all the children on our street. In addition Edwin st supports year round parking to residents with no driveway. Consideration to quality of life and safety should be considered ! A tall high density building with old century homes ( ours is 120 years old) would also destroy the beauty and charm of our neighbourhood. Please consider regulating the size and entry of any building being built there.

User 5924351 year ago "floor plate sizes of the tower portion (e.g., storeys five (5) and above) of the building may be limited to encourage slender and elegant tall building designs" The requirement to impose "slender" floor plates is likely to have a detrimental impact on energy efficiency. Narrow floor plates with high length to width ratios increase energy use, since this results in buildings with higher surface area to volume ratios that lose more heat in winter and depending on orientation, have the potential to gain more heat during summer.

User 6155361 year ago

User 6563841 year ago How will you ensure we are working towards a walkable and billable community in the city of Guelph with new developments? As a resident and passionate advocate for walkable and bikeable cities, I strongly support efforts to build taller, denser urban spaces with mixed-use development. I believe incorporating commercial spaces within apartment and condo buildings is essential for creating vibrant, dynamic communities where people can live, work, and interact more easily. It also supports our city’s ongoing efforts to be more comfortable and accessible for pedestrians and cyclists. I am excited to see our city continue on the path toward becoming a more livable and sustainable place for all of its residents. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important issue.

User 5053501 year ago I live on Edwin Street directly across from the empty lot on the corner of Woolwich and London. One of our neighbors went to the meeting regarding the downtown height study, and he discovered the plan for the empty lot may be to add an 8-story building with parking access from Edwin St. Edwin street is a small one-way road, where a lot of residents rely on street parking as they do not have a driveway. Where a lot of children play in the street. Where the calm and safety of the street is important to us. I understand the need to build Guelph up, but I also love the neighborhood we have created here. To have an 8-story building developed, it would simply tarnish everything we love about our area. We would no longer feel safety for our kids, a calm environment, and we would need to battle for parking our cars outside our homes. I hope you can take the feedback seriously as it truly affects many of our lives here on Edwin Street. Thank you for your time.

User 5943841 year ago First, thank you for posting the "highlights" of the proposed OPA amendment. I understand that really tall buildings will be built. (For example, ones that will be taller than the Basilica - that's a big one for longtime Guelph residents, as you know.) The Basilica is at the highest point of downtown. Is it possible to amend the OPA such that building heights increase with increased radius from the Basilica? (That might already be in the amendment, but honestly, I don't have the time/energy/bandwidth to read that document.) Thanks.

User 5513101 year ago

User 5659641 year ago Hello, I do not agree with buildings being taller than the Basilica. I’m not religious but I believe in protecting the heritage of downtown Guelph and the current visibility of the basilica from all angles, not just certain corridors. Building higher and then rationalizing it by saying it’s viewable from certain angles seems like a cop-out and a solution that only really benefits the developers of the buildings. I also feel that the housing being made has no chance at being affordable. The new buildings in the Wellington and Surrey area are a good example of new buildings that are not affordable at all. Why ruin the beauty of downtown Guelph by building large, ugly, buildings without character that no one can afford to live in. I know people that moved into these buildings, they are very well off and retired. They won’t even be contributing to the downtown economy like this plan amendment wants (200 people and jobs per hectare). If these new buildings are not feasible for young working professionals to live in, why even build them? I truly feel that any amendments to current building regulations are pushed by for-profit developers that have no interest or care for the people, the city, and its heritage. I hope council sees through the wool and does the right thing, protecting our city from developers that will price out the citizens that have made this city what it is today.

User 5373121 year ago

User 5721661 year ago

User 5517801 year ago I read the OPA amendment with interest regarding the buildings of some height, namely mid-rise and high-rise. I don't see anything regarding setbacks from the street. It is important to have the taller builds/longer buildings have a greater set-back from the street for a varying street scape so that pedestrians have a sense of place. This would help to prevent wind tunneling. More importantly, it would provide locations to humanize the hard surfaces with plantings, sculptures etc.and places to gather, including cafes, bars, restaurants as well as lunchtime concerts, and more informal places to socialize. People on the street humanizes the place, increases safety all round and helps to prevent crime.

Filters

Total posts: 14

Search

There are 14 projects available.

No values available.

Selected zero tag filters.

Upcoming and ongoing events

0 events have loaded.

No upcoming or ongoing events are currently scheduled.

Past events

Draft Official Plan Amendment open house
Event date: February 4th, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Guelph City Hall
Read more

1 event has loaded.