After initial public feedback sent Larco Investments Ltd. “back to the drawing board,” the owner of the Château Laurier came back Thursday with a revised plan that reduces the size of the proposed addition to the historic hotel.
The new proposal is an eight-storey, 171-suite addition to the rear of the building, backing out onto Major’s Hill Park. The single structure replaces the previously proposed 12 and 11-storey towers, which would’ve added 218 rooms.
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Initial renderings of the new design appear to set the addition below the roofline of the Château, a common complaint lodged at the initial proposal’s designs.
The revised plans also allow for more “publicly accessible space” on the ground floor.
When Larco first unveiled its plans for a proposed addition in 2016, many members of the public found fault with the more imposing design. Mayor Jim Watson tweeted that the developers should go ‘back to the drawing board.”
Months after the initial backlash, lead architect Peter Clewes told OBJ that constructing an addition that too closely resembled the original building would “confuse history,” insisting that modern architecture should not attempt to recreate the classics.
The proposed plans will require a minor zoning variance and a heritage permit before the plan can be approved.
Members of the public will once again have the chance to make their voices heard at a feedback session scheduled for Feb. 28. After taking these suggestions, the plans will pass through a series of committees and city council before construction can begin.
