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Savel declined to say how high the diocese would like to go, but said it’s not unusual to see highrise towers adjacent to stately old churches in cities such as Chicago and Toronto.

“We might decide we want to go tall, and have three storeys for Basilica use. We’re not sure how much, but we didn’t want it to be limited to four storeys,” Savel said.

More intensive development would generate more money for the church and it’s also a better use of the land, he said.

“It can bring ongoing revenue to the cathedral and diocese. It will help sustain us for many years. It’s also a much better way to use the land.”

Just north of the basilica, on the same plot of land as the parish centre, city hall would allow a 30-storey tower and the diocese supports that.

But just north of that and south of Angel Street, a 25-storey tower could be built and the church would support a taller building matching the 30 storeys that would sit beside it, Savel said.

“If it’s 25 (storeys), what’s the difference if it’s a little higher? We want more intensification, we want options and we don’t want our hands tied.”

But the basilica is London’s Westminster Abbey or Notre Dame and it should not compete with a highrise tower beside it, said Jennifer Grainger, president of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario’s London office.

“Whatever they build should be lower than the cathedral itself. It doesn’t seem appropriate to have something taller,” Grainger said.

The basilica is about 41 metres high, equal to about 12 storeys.