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OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, May 8, 2009 · 2 OMB rules against hi-rise condo towers on hotel site The Town wanted the abandoned Park Plaza Hotel site, located at Trafalgar Road and Oakville Place Drive, to remain employment land and that is how it shall stay. The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) sided with the Town against Creekbank Developments Ltd, which wanted to rezone 360 Oakville Place Dr., from its current arterial/commercial designation to pave the way for a 900-unit residential condominium apartment. The proposed condo would have consisted of three apartment buildings (28, 30 and 33 storeys) along with a four to five-storey building housing retail, services and offices, with up to 10,705 square metres of floor area. The OMB's Wednesday decision puts the brakes on these plans. "This is a significant win for Oakville. Retaining valuable employment land for the Town is vital to the economic growth of Oakville," said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. "The OMB decision enforces council's goal to seek opportunities for business development as we move towards a sustainable knowledge-based economy." Town staff noted the key to their victory was the provincial policy statement and the growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, which requires the protection of employment lands. The Town argued the Park Plaza Hotel site is an employment area and for that reason the OMB concluded that allowing Creekbank to build a residential development there would be a policy violation. The Town is calling for a significant office complex on the site in question and Creekbank Properties is now on board with that mandate. "We're prepared to work with maximizing that office development landmark opportunity that is now being presented as the way the property should go," said Todd Cullen, president of Creekbank Properties Ltd. "In speaking with the mayor and people with the Town, we've agreed that if that is the way it should go, we'll embrace that and work with them to create the best office development that the town has ever seen." Cullen said the development will probably take the shape of two or three office buildings with some retail to service the employees in the office development. The height of the buildings has yet to be finalized, however, Cullen expects them to range from 10 to 15 storeys. Construction start dates are tentatively scheduled within the next year or so depending on the economy.