Councillors have approved a proposal to build a tower as tall as the Ice District’s JW Marriott next to Hotel Macdonald.

The tower will be about 55 storeys tall, according to developers, making it one of the tallest buildings in Edmonton.

The project, by Great Gulf, is located at 9955 Jasper Avenue where there is a small, privately-owned park just north of the hotel.

Monday afternoon, councillors hosted a public hearing to debate the rezoning whichwould allow the 185-metre tower to be built.

In April, the city asked for feedback on the proposal, which was then reported back to city council.

Some of the concerns included that the building was too tall, would cast shadows over Churchill Square, and that it would block the view of Hotel MacDonald.

However, council voted 9-3 in favour of the site’s redevelopment.

“I think it’s going to fill in the skyline a little bit,” said Mayor Don Iveson.

“It’s positive to see, and will bring some commercial activity and a little bit of street-front retail right to that really important corner, and liven things up by the funicular, and by the hotel.”

Councillor Ben Henderson was one of the three votes against the proposal.

“I think we have not been careful enough with some of the views we have of some of our important historic buildings, and once it’s gone it’s gone, there’s no putting it back,” he said.

The park has been there since the late 80s, when council made a deal to save and then renovate a deteriorating Hotel MacDonald.

The historic landmark’s 16-storey addition, often referred to as ‘the box the hotel came in,’ was demolished and replaced with green space.

Since then, the park has been zoned for a 39-storey office building that would have sit close to the hotel.

The developer says the newly approved tower is much skinnier, and will keep some sight lines to the hotel from Jasper Avenue.

“It’s certainly stuff you see in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal. We’re looking to bring that to Edmonton because we think it’s better urban design, especially for a site as important as this,” said Geoff Matthews, Great Gulf's senior vice president of development.

The developer wants to get shovels in the ground in mid-to-late 2020.