The Willow Tree Highrise is set to head to a public hearing — for the second time.
The proposed 25-storey development at the corner of Quinpoool Road and Robie Street would replace the 10-storey office building currently in the location.
The decision comes after a deferment and two hours of debate at a meeting of Halifax Regional Council on Tuesday — eventually passing the first reading of a land-use bylaw for the proposed development.
In March, council voted down a first reading of a by-law that would have imposed a 20-storey limit on the building proposed by Armco, which is itself operated by APL Properties. Instead, council voted to establish a limit of 25-storeys with more incentives for the municipality.
Those include extra sidewalk space, burying of electrical and communication wire as well as 10 affordable housing units in the building, with the intention of them being discounted by 40 per cent for at least 15 years.
But that’s not what passed through council on Tuesday.
The staff report originally brought to council indicated that Armco would not be able to underground the wires, citing “inequities” of them paying for the service which would allow other surrounding properties to benefit from the decision.
“This is not something the applicant can undertake on this project,” the staff report reads.
Instead, with a little help from city staff, Chief Administrative Officer Jacques Dube and Armco representative Adam McLean and Shawn Cleary introduced a slate of amendments that would attempt to give the developer a slate of options for the proposed highrise.
One of the options was what was originally proposed to council: that Armco build 25-storeys and provide 10 affordable housing units at a market price of $750 per month for 15 years and bury utility wires in the area.
WATCH: Halifax holds public hearing on Willow Tree development
Halifax holds public hearing on Willow Tree development
The other three options are designed with the impossibility of undergrounding in mind — allowing the municipality to get something if burying the wires is not feasible.
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The other options include allowing Armco the ability to provide 10 affordable units and a one-time payment of $900,000 to create an affordable housing fund, Armco providing 20 affordable housing units on the site for 15 years, or allowing the developer to simply cut a cheque to the municipality for $1.8 million towards the housing fund.
The motion — along with the amendments — passed 13 to 3.
A date for the second public hearing has yet to be determined.
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