Rare 4- and 5-bedroom apartments could be part of proposed building in Niagara Falls

A new apartment building proposed for Niagara Falls could, if approved, bring a number of rare four- and five-bedroom apartments to the city. 

At an Oct. 22 council meeting, councillors discussed a proposal to construct two nine-storey apartment buildings with 50 suites at 7230 Lundy’s Lane. Since the report on the building was just received for information, council did not vote on the proposal and will not be able to do so until next month. 

In order for the proposal to proceed, council will have to approve official plan and zoning bylaw amendments to allow the project to stand at a height greater than what is currently permitted in the area. 

The development, proposed by Upper Canada Consultants, is expected to boast 25 units per tower. 

The area where the development could take shape is currently vacant and located on the south side of Lundy’s Lane between Montrose Road and Brookfield Avenue. Previously, it was home to a miniature golf course and restaurant.

At the meeting, Coun. Tony Baldinelli asked if the images were accurate, stating the building in the renderings looked large for a development with just 50 units. 

“How do you justify only 25 units in each building?” 

In a presentation, William Heikoop, who was representing the developer, said the building is meant to accommodate multi-generational households. 

He also said that while the developer is not proposing the inclusion of affordable units because the city has met its affordable housing targets, the large unit sizes could make the suites more cost-effective for larger families. 

“This design is to facilitate more of a multi-generational type of building that has a range of unit sizes,” Heikoop told council. 

“So, traditionally, apartment buildings have [units with] one or two bedrooms. In this instance, we’re looking at having up to four or five bedrooms in some of the units, which will allow for some of those affordability components to have downward pressure on the rental price.” 

When asked if the developer would still consider including affordable units, Heikoop said it’s something that could be evaluated.

A report with more information will come back to council on Nov. 12.