London City Council has approved a building set to become the tallest in the city.
The properties at 50 King Street and 399 Ridout Street will soon be home to two towers of 53-storeys and 43-storeys tall that will overlook the Forks of the Thames.
The planning application was approved by council by an 11-2 margin.
"People do not built 53 storey buildings everywhere in this country, they build them in places where they have confidence in the future of those locations. That is exactly what out downtown needs," said Mayor Josh Morgan at a council meeting on Tuesday evening. "This is an investment in long-term downtown vitality."
He noted that the people who live in these buildings - which will include 800 residential units and significant commercial space - will live, shop, eat and play in the city's downtown core.
"Since this planning application came forward, I spoke with other mayors, and they’re a little bit jealous about this type of investment in the downtown core of a city,” Morgan said. “This is not something you see every day.”
York Developments will also donate $600,000 to Indwell, rather than having affordable housing units in the building. That's a $100,000 increase on their prior promise.
The application went through multiple amendments on the council floor, as Ward 11 Councillor Skylar Franke had asked colleagues to consider asking York to commit to bird friendly windows, electric vehicle charging stations, and solar insulation along the sides and tops of the towers.
That amendment passed easily, with Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis noting that York had already planned on accommodating some of the requests.
However, those amendments weren't enough to get two councillors on board with the project.
David Ferreria, who represents the downtown core, voted no on the project, citing heritage concerns.
"I do believe that it will be appealed and at that process, I'm not sure how it's going to go," he said of Middlesex County selling the land for the building to York with the purpose of development.
Ward 6 councillor Sam Trosow called the development "too much" and said there are "too many outstanding issues" with the large building.
However, those concerns were rejected by their colleagues.
"There have been controversial buildings downtown. One London Place, when that was built, people were concerned about the height, at that time," said Ward 8 Councillor Steve Lehman. "On the heritage front, John Labatt Centre, now called Budweiser Gardens, boy was there a heritage debate back then."
"Both buildings have been proven to be a tremendous asset to our downtown."