The owners of the White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., have cleared a significant hurdle in their efforts to develop a major expansion of their property, a four-tower project which would add over 800 condos plus commercial space.

The Ontario town council has approved the development in principle, although there are still a series of other obstacles to overcome. Among them is a request by council for some design changes in response to concerns from local residents.

The proposal for the 13-acre property at 253 Taylor Rd., just off the Queen Elizabeth Way highway between the Greater Toronto Area and Niagara Falls, includes:

• 810 residential units encompassing 804,555 square feet in 17-, 18-, 21- and 25-storey buildings;
• 16,313 square feet of ground-level commercial space;
• 754 underground residential parking spaces;
• and 564 at grade and above-grade resort parking spaces.

The project was first introduced by owners and operators Ameer Wakil and the Wakil family as part of their vision for the future of White Oaks more than 15 years ago, according to project manager and LANDx Developments president Tim Collins, who’s been working on the application for three years.

The Wakil family has owned White Oaks since 1978. It features: 220 recently updated guest rooms; a spa with 19 treatment rooms; three restaurants; more than 67,000 square feet of meeting space; and a fitness club offering racquet sports, cardio and strength training, personal training, yoga, pilates, swimming and more.

Some changes to current configuration

While the proposed new above-grade parking structure will result in changes to the existing configuration of the resort and hotel, the intention is to maintain the range of offerings which presently exist at the facility — including tennis, racquetball and squash courts.

“The unique vision for this development is a comprehensive integration between the existing offerings at the White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa and the future residential development,” Collins told RENX. 

“Residents will be able to take advantage of the range of amenities and services offered by the resort, including housekeeping, hospitality and technical support.”

The area's 2010 Glendale Secondary Plan includes permissions for the development of residential uses ranging from 16 to 20 storeys on the White Oaks property. The increases in height and density being sought are in response to increased development costs since 2010 and the growing need for housing.

“As these applications for development have proceeded, White Oaks has remained an active participant in the town's ongoing update to the Glendale Secondary Plan, which is anticipated for completion later this year,” Collins said.

Some opposition from local residents

Some local residents have opposed the project’s proposed building heights, and a petition on change.org received more than 600 signatures.

“Planning staff have already provided a positive recommendation in support of the zoning amendment to implement the development as proposed,” Collins noted.

Niagara-on-the Lake council has requested the developers consider opportunities to re-allocate tower heights within the development. 

Collins said his team will work closely with Toronto-based project architect Giannone Petricone Associates to address that feedback and then return to council for its approval. No additional public consultations are anticipated.

The maximum height of buildings within a four-mile radius of the Niagara District Airport is five to six storeys so the proposed development will require an airport zoning regulation exemption from Transport Canada.

Collins said an analysis completed by aviation planning consultants at HM Aero has demonstrated that there’s a strong justification for the exemption.

Construction targeted to start in 2026

The goal is to have site plan approval and finalization of the zoning amendment in place next year and for work to start on the site after receiving a building permit in 2026. The completion of the first phase of construction is anticipated in 2029 or 2030.

There are no builder or developer partners at the present time as those conversations are in the very early stages.

“It's been a long process, and it will be a long process moving forward,” Collins observed.

Tenureship hasn't yet been confirmed and is subject to change, but it’s anticipated that all of the residential units will have condominium ownership. 

The proposed development would diversify the existing Niagara-on-the-Lake housing stock, which has traditionally focused on single-family homes. Smaller condo units will also provide more affordable alternatives in the town of approximately 20,000 people located 20 kilometres from the Horseshoe Falls.

“Glendale is part of Niagara-on-the-Lake, but it is a major growth centre for Niagara Region as a whole,” Collins said, noting that many of the region's visitors only consider the historic 19th-century downtown when thinking of the town’s buildings.