The Luxe on Richmond wasn't built with a drop-off lane, but it's getting one now

Just five years old, the $55 million Luxe London apartment building at 1235 Richmond St. isn't your typical student crash pad. 

Located steps from Western University, the 19-storey tower appears to offer every amenity, including a rooftop patio, a billiards room and even a luxury fitness centre with a cedar sauna. 

But there's one thing the Luxe is lacking, and city officials — prompted by safety concerns — say they're now working with the building's owners to get it fixed: There's no pullover lane in front of the entrance.

It may seem like a trivial omission, but with no drop-off lane and few parking spots for building visitors, vehicles making drop offs and deliveries to the Luxe regularly park in the southbound curb lane of Richmond Street, one of London's busiest thoroughfares.

Those parked vehicles pose a hazard, with drivers sometimes forced to slam on their brakes or make a sudden swerve to avoid them. The problem is compounded by the sharp bend on Richmond that southbound drivers navigate as they come off the bridge over the river. 

"I think it's an accident waiting to happen," said Carol Hunter, a downtown resident who drives past the Luxe as she returns from shopping at Masonville Place. "I worry about rear-ending someone else or somebody rear-ending me. There's all kinds of potential for an accident there." 

Ward 6 Coun. Phil Squire has heard an earful about the problem. He considers it a major design fail that a building with 600 residents didn't provide a place for pizza deliveries or Uber pick ups. 

"As they come around the corner, drivers are confronted with stopped cars in the lane that they're driving in, and that creates all kinds of problems," said Squire. "I don't think it can be left indefinitely as is, because it just isn't safe." 

CBC News went to the Luxe building on Thursday during the evening rush hour. A Canada Post vehicle was parked in the curb lane on Richmond for more than 10 minutes with its flashers activated while the driver made a delivery. 

Vehicles travelling south at 60 km/h had to make a sudden stop or a hasty lane change, creating a dangerous situation with the street already dark by 5 p.m.

A driver delivering food to the building told CBC News that a call to the Luxe is never easy. 

"I've had some horrible times here," said the driver. "There's never a place to park. It's the same thing for all delivery guys, not just me." 

Partly in response to complaints, city staff began to look at traffic flow around the building. After some observation, they agreed it needed fixing.

"We certainly recognize the concern," said Doug MacRae, the city's director of roads and transportation. "We've gone and observed the situation and have satisfied ourselves that a solution is necessary. That's why we're taking action." 

MacRae admits the solution won't be easy. 

The building's close placement to the curb means any new pullover lane will have to be shoehorned into a tight space. A row of power poles, the building's front steps and a raised walkway are all potential obstacles.

MacRae said city staff hope to have some kind of solution in place by next year. A spokesperson for Society Developments, which operates the building, said they will work with city staff to find a solution. 

Also, MacRae said staff will work to ensure the problem doesn't happen with other new buildings on the Richmond corridor. A 17-storey building is proposed to replace a row of houses almost directly across the street from the Luxe, potentially adding to the bottleneck.

As for whether the city or the Luxe will pick up the tab for the new drop-off lane, MacRae said that's still being sorted out.