6-storey apartment-retail complex proposed for Churchill Square

St. John's city council will consider a proposal for a six-storey mixed-use building in Churchill Square this week, and while some area residents are on board with it, they worry that parking will become an issue.

The application from KMK Properties for additional height and density for the proposed building, which would house both ground-level retail and 78 rental units, will come before the committee of the whole in St. John's on Wednesday.

"I welcome this proposal," said Ward 4 Coun. Ian Froude.

"I'm quite excited that this is being considered for the square."

If approved, the building would go up on the site of a long-vacant supermarket that Loblaws had operated for decades under the Dominion and SaveEasy brands. 

In the application, KMK Properties is acting as an agent for Loblaws Properties, which owns the building.

"I think it's a fantastic idea," said Don Gough, who grew up in the Churchill Square area and moved back nearby when he returned to the province a couple of decades ago.

"It's something that's long overdue for that building."

Building vacant for 6 years

Even as new businesses have moved into Churchill Square in recent months, and others have returned after flooding forced their relocation in early 2017, the large former SaveEasy site has remained vacant.

Some in the area are glad that may not be the case for much longer.

"This is like a set of teeth, and one of the teeth has gone rotten and needs pulling and a new one stuck in," said David Playfair of the building, which has been empty since SaveEasy, a discount grocery store, closed in 2012.

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Barbara Dooley agreed. "They need to do something with the site," she said, adding that it can become messy in the area, and graffiti has been an issue.

"It's an eyesore, really."

Archival photos of St. John's were posted on the building's exterior in order to improve the area, but Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O'Leary — who has pushed for improvements in Churchill Square, including the photos — said in 2016 that the city couldn't do much to force the building's owners to use the space if property taxes were paid and inspections passed.

But an environmental assessment of the site was completed in late 2016, and it now appears that Loblaws has a plan.

Council has not yet debated the proposal, but Froude said city staff have recommended that the developer complete a land-use assessment report and send the proposed designs to the built heritage experts panel.

Both of those recommendations are standard for a development of this type, he added, and represent the city's desire to make sure all potential issues are properly considered.

Concerns about parking

There is not currently a grocer, small or large, in Churchill Square, and some area residents said the return of one in a new development would be welcome.

Gough said that locally available groceries would be beneficial to area residents like himself, who cannot walk long distances.

"I like the idea of a building here, where there has been emptiness, but I would like to see a [grocery] shop at the bottom," said Playfair.

The proposed building, which would have one-bedroom and two-bedroom rental apartments above those commercial units, would be six storeys, which is two above what is currently allowed by city bylaws.

Dooley didn't see that a taller building would block anything key, as there are just more buildings along the back. But there were some concerns about parking.

It can already be difficult to find a spot, especially during the university school year, Gough said. About 40 underground spots would be part of the development, according to the proposal before the city.

Dooley suggested that perhaps there could be additional parking for building residents around the back, and Playfair said he hoped that parking concerns wouldn't stop the construction of a development that could be good for the area.

"With a goodwill I'm sure they could find a way to do it," he said.

Meanwhile, Froude said the city is currently in the process of analyzing and adjusting the parking situation in Churchill Square in general, and their discussions with business owners would also inform any decisions made about the proposed development.

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