Kingston’s newest proposed development could be tallest building on the waterfront

A Kingston developer has proposed a development that could forever change Kingston’s skyline.

Jay Patry, with Patry INC. Developments, has applied to build a 20-storey highrise building with five storeys of parking on the former site of the city’s marine museum.

Public feedback will be gathered at a planning committee meeting next week on Sept. 21, where amendments to the city’s official plan and zoning bylaw will be presented.

“Right now residential uses are not a type of use that’s permitted in the zone so the amendment that they’re (Patry INC Developments) requesting would allow them to specifically build what they’re proposing on the site,” said Marnie Venditti, manager of development approvals with the city of Kingston.

Laura Knap, chair of the Sydenham District Association, says there are several issues with the proposed waterfront development.

“Our biggest concerns are certainly the heritage impacts, environmental concerns about the contaminants on the site —ensuring they don’t leak into the lake and that they don’t have long-term human health impacts,” said Knap. “Ensuring that the public has good, meaningful access to the waterfront — welcoming access to the waterfront and certainly one of scale.”

Patry says he needs to build high in order to cover the up to $6-million cost of cleaning up the old, contaminated dock site.

“The contamination that’s on the site is considerable and there is no brownfield funding for it,” said Patry.

“On top of that, there’s a very expensive shore wall that has to go in and then the building has to be built on piers. The only way we can make this work is to have a certain size building.”

The public meeting will be held in council chambers at on Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. and will be just the first step in the process of reviewing the development application.