{"id":766,"date":"2026-02-11T17:10:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T22:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tbaygreenspacepreservation.ca\/?p=766"},"modified":"2026-02-28T12:15:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T17:15:37","slug":"the-reality-of-400-unit-developments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tbaygreenspacepreservation.ca\/?p=766","title":{"rendered":"The Reality of 400 Unit Developments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The development at 791 Arundel St was originally proposed at 600 units<\/strong>. The concept drawing<\/a> reminded many community members of “Soviet-era tenement” housing. At 600 units, it far exceeded the Urban Mid-rise zoning the City alleged they wanted for this parcel of land. In other words, the proposal never should have been accepted by the City, nevermind presented to city residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of the deputations and backlash against the proposed development, the City provided residents with a new and improved drawing<\/a>. In what the City called “a concession”, the proposal was reduced to 400 units. Councillor Foulds, however, noted that the reduction in units wasn’t an actual “concession”, since the original proposal didn’t comply with the rules in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Density doesn’t only mean a high-rise building<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the January 13, 2026 City Council meeting, Councillor Bentz said the proposed developments didn’t look dense to him, because he can go to any big city and see a 20 storey tower. News flash, density doesn’t just mean high-rise buildings. Density refers to the concentration of people, housing, or buildings in a given area. If Councillor Bentz had any knowledge of the City’s Zoning By-law, he would know that Thunder Bay doesn’t allow 20 storey buildings. If he had bothered to read the Housing Strategy, he would have found that it recommends a density of 57 units per hectare. For 791 Arundel, that would equate to approximately 180 units. Using the Housing Strategy as a guideline then, which the City purported they would do, the proposed 400 units is 221% higher<\/strong> than the Housing Strategy’s recommendaitons. Now that’s dense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of dense multi-residential apartment complex is not compatible with the surrounding build types in the Shuniah neighbourhood, expecially the adajcent single family homes consisting of bungalows and a few two-storey homes. 400 units is a rapid intenstification of a neighbourhood lacking in services, amenities, sidewalks, cycling infrastructure, and transit, all of which are required for good urban planning. You don’t have to take our word for it, the City’s own documents state the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what does a 400 unit apartment complex look like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The renderings and photo depicted below are ~400 unit developments on roughly the same size parcel of land as Arundel. They include (top row L to R) 120 Lemarchant Road in St. Johns, Terraces of King George in Brantford, and 505-533 Young St in Barrie. The photo on the bottom left is Two Three North in Ireland. This is a completed development built on the same size parcel of land as 791 Arundel St, shown here on the bottom right. You can click on each picture to get more details about the developments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Arundel<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of these things is not like the other<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four of the developments accurately reflect ~400 unit apartment complexes. Take of look at Two Three North in Dublin, the development in the photo on the bottom left. As mentioned above, this development is on 3.17 hectares, the same size parcel of land as 791 Arundel St. The complex consists of four buildings ranging in height from five to seven storeys, but only has 282 units<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal for Arundel is 400 units in two buildings; one 5-storey, and one 6-storey. All the other developments shown above are either twice that high or have double the number of buildings. For Arundel, we fail to see how the developer is going to squeeze 400 units into just two buildings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparisons and Conclusions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 791 Arundel St and 300 Tokio St proposals are the largest apartment complexes in the history of Thunder Bay. To understand just how big a 400 unit complex would be, we gathered information on some of the larger apartment and condo buildings in the city for comparison and set them out in the table below. The most iconic, Waverley Park Towers, only has 153 units <\/strong>and is 16 storeys high<\/strong>. The largest apartment building in the Shuniah neighbourhood is Hudson Heights at 935 Hudson Ave, with 6 storeys <\/strong>and 91 units. <\/strong>Four buildings the size of Hudson Heights would have to be built on 791 Arundel St to come even close to the proposed development. Even at that, the complex would still be over 40 units short of the proposed 400 unit development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this leaves us to conclude one or all of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • The new conceputal proposal is deliberately misleading because the City and the developer think we’re all gullible and won’t question how 400 units will fit in two buildings. Remember, they thought we would fall for the original 600 unit proposal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The City and the developer are proposing 400 units but will actually build less than that, hoping nobody notices. In the meantime, it looks like they’re addressing our housing shortage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The City and the developer plan on actually building 400 units which will require taller buildings and\/or more buildings. After all, according to our City Councillors, this is just a “conceptual proposal”, so subject to change. We won’t know what the real proposal will actually look like until the developer files an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application, and a public notice is issued.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Housing in the right location<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Having lived in Toronto, Sault Ste Marie, Calgary, and Victoria, we’ve seen our share of multi-residential buildings. In the right location with proper transit service, cycling infrastructure, services and amenities, this type of housing is a good fit. However, placed in the wrong location, say perhaps a neighbourhood of single-family homes, duplexes, and small apartment buildings, lacking in services, amenities, sidewalks, year-round cycling infrastructure, and limited transit options, it’s just poor urban planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are many other parcels of city-owned lands where this type of massive, first-of-its-kind development proposal should be built, specifically in either of the two downtown cores. The City has already spent over $40 million to revitalize these areas, but we also need people living there. Residents will turn our downtown cores into 24\/7 communities. Residents will drive economic growth, support local businesses, and foster vibrant, diverse, and safe public spaces, all of which are goals of the City’s Smart Growth Plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now that would be housing in the right location and good urban planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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