Proposed condos higher than St. John's allows

A developer proposing a 90-unit condominium in an rundown area of downtown St. John's is asking the city to let it break the rules.

The Halifax-based group wants to build three metres higher than current city bylaws allow.

"It's really a minor request given the considerable impact that this project is going to have in the city," said Colin Whitcomb, executive vice-president of the Hardman Group.

City officials said Thursday that the proposal has merits — they hope it will help revitalize a section of town that includes a number of buildings that haven't been occupied for years.

"Well, actually me and council were quite pleased to see a serious development for that site," said Deputy Mayor Shannie Duff. "That whole area of Duckworth Street has been derelict for quite some time."

But city council also has to think about what the proposal will mean to citizens.

"It's a sensitive issue that it is immediately adjacent to a residential area," said Duff.

So the entire project is being put through a view-plane study to see what the extra height would mean for downtown residents.

The developer hopes city councilors will also consider what changes to its proposal might mean to the project.

"There is certainly an economic impact, if we aren't able to keep going up and that makes the project more difficult to complete," said Whitcomb.