Coun. Ian Froude says the new apartment building and commercial space is a positive step forward for the Churchill Square neighbourhood. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC)

St. John's city council has given the go-ahead to a new six-storey apartment building in Churchill Square to replace the former SaveEasy supermarket.

"I feel this proposal is a positive one for the square and the neighbourhood," said Ian Froude, Ward 4 councillor, on Monday night after city council's public meeting.

The building will house 78 apartment units on the top five floors, while the ground level will have commercial space. The project was proposed to the city by developers in 2018 to replace a building that has been vacant for seven years.

However, the project has come under fire from some residents around the city, who say a new apartment building is unnecessary while other nearby complexes sit half-empty.

Froude said he believes the project is a good one and will be another housing option for residents and will bring new business to the square.

This rendering shows how the new six-storey structure, far right, will fit into Churchill Square. (Maggie Burton/Twitter)

"I've heard from many in the neighbourhood, who are getting on in years, and they want an option to stay in the neighbourhood, to move out of their large single-family home and into an apartment as they retire," he said.

"There seems to be a market for that. I can't speak to the vacancy of the building on the other side."

What about parking?

There are roughly 400 parking spaces in Churchill Square, said Froude, some of which — around 68 — will be used by tenants, residential and commercial, after the apartment is built. Specifically, the applicant asked for 36 permits for spaces in the Churchill Square parking lot, plus 32 dedicated parking spaces on Rowan Place. The proposal also calls for 40 underground parking spaces.

Froude said he's also working on an way to minimize how many parking spaces are taken up by mounds of snow when snow clearing work is done.

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