Corner Brook council approvals make way for two apartment developments

CORNER BROOK — Corner Brook city council approved two motions this week that will increase available housing in the city through the redevelopment of two buildings.

The first motion involved the rezoning of the former Presentation Junior High property at 21 Mount Bernard Ave. from community service to residential low density.

This will allow a developer to turn the building into a 24unit apartment complex.

The rezoning is necessary for the development to be considered and requires map amendments to the city’s Integrated Municipal Sustainability Plan and development regulations.

The matter first came before council in December 2022 when GDR Enterprises applied for the rezoning and the city authorized staff to carry out the necessary public consultation.

That process resulted in no feedback being received.

City council’s meeting on Monday, March 13, saw the final reading of the amendment.

Council voted to approve the proposed map amendments and a text amendment for the development regulations, for staff to submit the proposed amendments to the province for registration and for staff to give statutory notice of the registration of the amendments following ministerial approval and registration by the province.

GDR Enterprises is proposing to use the existing structure with no expansion of the size of the building.

The city also approved an application to convert the Corner Taxi building at 191 O’connell Drive into a fourunit apartment building.

The building is in a general commercial zone and is currently a mixed-use building with two residential units and commercial space.

Classifying it as an apartment building is a discretionary use of the city’s development regulations.

A notice of the request was delivered to residents in the immediate area and posted on the city’s website. No submissions for or against it were received.