It appears an $80-million condominium project in Leamington may still go ahead despite the developer not getting the conditional permit requested.
Piroli Group Developments Owner Rob Piroli pressed Leamington Council at a special meeting Monday night for permit approval or else the proposed project would be jeopardized in 2015 and could go elsewhere. However, Deputy Mayor Hilda McDonald and the rest of council didn't want to go against the assessment of the project from the municipality's chief building official in favour of the developer's request.
"[Piroli] was asking us to sidestep that to a degree and he was also telling us that if we didn't go along with it, he would move to Kingsville," says McDonald. "Our feet were to the fire I felt, but thankfully, our administration came up with an idea that was more palatable."
Piroli was "totally in favour" of a proposal from Leamington CAO Peter Neufeld which could see the developer get a partial approval at council's May 4 meeting to go ahead with digging and installing footings at its site near Seacliff Dr. and Cherry Lane. There isn't to be any construction at the site until then.
"It's a really great development that will only help our community grow and we certainly appreciate Mr. Piroli building it in our community, so we worked together to come up with what we see as a fair situation," says McDonald.
Council didn't want construction to go ahead until after residents had a chance to voice their opinions on the project at the municipality's public input session on April 20. A public meeting had already been held by the developer and a second public meeting is planned for April 2 at the Roma Club in Leamington.
Piroli is planning a three-phased project which would see a 105 unit apartment building built first, followed by a retirement home and finished with a second apartment building.
The site of the Piroli Seacliff Square development in Leamington on March 30, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)