Queen Street highrise set to be first tower with no on-site parking

Cycling is encouraged, with 34-storey building providing 250 secure bike lockers

A 34-storey condo tower proposed for Queen Street North in downtown Kitchener is set to be the first highrise in the city to have no on-site parking.

“It’s the biggest thing we can do to improve the sustainability of our buildings,” said Tyler Ulmer of Momentum Developments, the developer behind the project at 16-20 Queen St. N.

“Just because the parking ratios of yesterday are being built doesn’t mean it’s the right thing,” he said.

With no parking, condo residents are encouraged to use Grand River Transit, the Ion and cycling, Ulmer said.

The highrise will feature 236 units and under the current zoning bylaw, the developer could have built 184 parking spaces and 11 visitor parking spots. The developer requested zero parking before the city’s committee of adjustment this week. “The carbon emissions we are saving by not building a parking garage is the equivalent of yearly emissions of 1,100 Canadian homes. It is a significant amount,” Ulmer said.

“It’s exciting to see a building with zero parking,” said Kitchener senior planner Andrew Pinnell, who is overseeing the project.

Close to the highrise are three public parking garages, including one on Duke Street West, the city hall parking garage and one at Charles and Benton streets. The proposed development shares a property line with the Duke Street garage. The plan is that residents of the building will be able to park in the lot and sign a lease with the city, Ulmer said.

Ulmer said there will be more bike lockers in the building than residential units with 250 secure bike lockers on site “to make it really easy and convenient for people to use bikes and e-bikes.”

Kitchener is working on a new zoning bylaw, which will allow for zero parking for residential developments in the downtown area. The new bylaw should be in place within a year, Pinnell said.

Pinnell said other developers have shown interest in building projects without any parking.

“We will definitely see more,” he said. Another proposed building at the corner of Ontario and Weber Streets is also planning for zero parking.

The Queen Street North project made headlines earlier this summer when heritage advocates urged city council to save the entire 106-year-old landmark building. Council voted in favour of the developer, enabling heritage designation of the three-storey facade of the building and not the entire structure. The remainder of the building will be demolished.

Ulmer said no parking helps with affordability for those buying a condo unit. Parking spots are around $45,000 per stall, he said.

“You don’t have to put that on your mortgage. It makes our units a lot cheaper,” he said.

It will also reduce monthly condo fees, he said. A big portion of condo fees go toward maintaining parking structures.