One down, four to go.

When London city council this week approved a 703-unit highrise development downtown, it reduced to four the number of core-area residential highrises that are stalled — with no end in sight.

Some are winding their way through the city hall approval process; others are stymied by neighbours and heritage.

One, however, has been shelved — perhaps indefinitely.

And at $300 million, that project is the same size and scale — with the same economic impact — of the just-approved Rygar Properties development on Talbot Street.

Builder Tony Graat, who owns Danford London, has withdrawn his application for the 698-unit, three-tower highrise development, including a commercial plaza, at King and Clarence streets on the site of the former London Mews shopping mall.

Noteworthy is that since the site is now a parking lot, there are no heritage conservation issues or objections from neighbours to hold up the project.

Instead, it’s city hall wanting to take land with a depth of five metres from the site for a bus rapid transit (BRT) station at that intersection.

That is, if London gets a BRT system under a rapid transit proposal now before the Ontario government.

“It is gone — he has shelved it and is moving on. It is a beautiful piece of downtown land and meanwhile transit plans remain vague and uncertain,” said Alan Patton, a development lawyer working with Graat.

“The city has said they need more land. There is too much uncertainty around it, and (Graat) had better things to do.”

Although it’s a large chunk of property, losing that much turf would affect it enough that the developer has pulled out.

“It’s disappointing, it is not viable given the demands by city hall,” said Patton.

He bristled at the idea a “terminus, a glorified bus stop,” could stop cold a development that would bring $10 million in development charges and millions more in annual property tax revenue to the city, replacing what’s now a parking lot, although a busy one.

But the city doesn’t see the proposed rapid transit station there as an obstacle to the development. In fact, they’re “complementary” and the city wants Graat to return with his proposal, said Michael Tomazincic, a city planner.

“They can work together, a symbiotic relationship between the two,” where the transit stop would draw residents while feeding the system.

“It’s easy to criticize the city, and say the city screwed this up. But I don’t think that is true. It was not a secret we wanted a transit hub there and the proposal did not incorporate it,” he said.

“It is a two-way street.”

A massive proposal such as this, is complex and challenges have to be expected, he added.

“We could have worked through this issue but the applicant still owns the land, he has not put it up for sale and that it is a good sign.”

Tomazincic denied there are delays at city hall, saying the slow-going isn’t the city’s fault but what happens when building highrises in a city centre.

“There are no two sites that are the same, and we cannot ignore the concerns of the public,” he said.

“Some raise heritage concerns, others transit — there are always different circumstances we have to address.”

But the mood in the development community is that the wheels could spin faster at Dufferin Avenue, said Jamie Crich, owner of Auburn Developments Inc.

“I would say the process of making it efficient is always a concern. We are losing potential tax dollars and customers to outside areas,” she said.

Crich points to proposals going through urban design and heritage committees as evidence. He is now building in Waterloo, and those steps are folded in to the planning process there.

“On the front end, it is onerous in London and that can be good and bad,” he said.

“The development industry always wants it to be more efficient. We have to be more flexible. Everyone wants to get to the same spot, but it needs give and take to get where we all have to be.”

Patton is more blunt, blaming a city hall bureaucracy whose planning department, he says, wants to control design and politicians make questionable calls, especially on heritage.

“Delays cause frustration, loss of taxes and growth and jobs and it is a waste of time. It is ugly and not a coincidence there is a backlog at city hall.”

Developer Joe Carapella, president of the Tricar Group now building its fifth downtown project, which together will generate more than $3 million in annual property taxes, said “stumbling blocks and issues” come with the turf, even more so in a downtown with more interests and variables at play.

His company, he said, has built more than 50 buildings throughout Southwestern Ontario and has found London city hall and its planning department “one of the best to deal with” in finding solutions acceptable to everyone.

On the issue of downtown development, the city has also heard from Downtown London, the agency representing business concerns in the core.

There are few vacancies downtown and demand is high for more spaces, said Janette MacDonald, director of Downtown London.

“It is frustrating, these are significant developments downtown and I hope we can move them forward,” she said.

MacDonald cited the push for heritage preservation, which has stalled Southside Group’s proposed 25-storey tower on King Street .

“The heritage issue frustrates me because these building have been vacant, with no heat or hydro and they have deteriorated before they were bought by developers. But as soon as they want to do something with them, people are up in arms,” she said.

ndebono@postmedia.com

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DELAYED

183 King St.

Southside Group‘s bid to tear down a vacant, crumbling building to put up a $40-million, 25-storey, 200-unit residential highrise was denied by the city. The building that dates to 1892 has heritage designation. Southside has vowed to take the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), but the city has not received notice of such an application, or a proposal or request from developer Vito Frijia to meet and discuss the issue or come to a resolution.

“Nothing is happening on this. There is no application for a zoning amendment or even any discussion with us,” said Michael Tomazincic, city planner.

50 King St.

$100 million, 30-storey, 200-unit residential highrise, with 4,500 square metres of commercial space, proposed by Middlesex County government. Project is headed to the OMB. Residents opposed in the nearby Renaissance Towers fear it will block their view of the Thames River. A pre-hearing set for Sept. 26.

560 and 562 Wellington St. at Wolfe Street

Auburn Developments Inc. wants to build a 188-unit, 25-storey tower just north of Centennial Hall. The site plan application to the city is on hold, after opposition from the nearby historic Woodfield area. The tower, which would loom over Victoria Park and Victorian homes, has been called out of character for the area. Auburn owner Jamie Crich is tweaking the development to address concerns and hopes to have a proposal to the city within weeks.

King and Clarence streets

Danford London wants to build two towers, 35 and 32 storeys, totalling 698 units, with a third low-rise building with retail, commercial and more residential space, valued at about $300 million. Builder Tony Graat has shelved his plans, with the city wanting a strip of land for a rapid transit hub.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

505 Talbot St.:

Tricar Goup is building a 29-storey, 200 unit condominium highrise at 505 Talbot St.. Called Azure, it’s expected to be completed in about two years.

IN THE WINGS

455 Clarence St.

Land owner George Anastasiadis received city approval this summer to build a 32-storey, 182-unit project.

Talbot Street, between Fullarton Street and Dufferin Avenue