Community opposition to a proposed 17-story building in Peterborough’s East City is heating up in advance of a public meeting in late August when Peterborough city council will consider an application for a zoning-by law amendment.
The proposed mixed-use building, which would be built at 90 Hunter Street East just west of the Mark Street United Church, would be the tallest building ever constructed in Peterborough. It would have 205 market-rent apartments with 201 parking spaces.
According to a flyer shared with kawarthaNOW, two “peaceful” protests against the proposed building will take place “at the scene of the crime” at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday (August 10) and at the same time the following Sunday (August 17).
Developer Toronto-based TVM Group acquired the property from the board of trustees of Mark Street United Church is exchange for four rental condominium units in TVM Group’s nearby East City Condos development valued at $2 million, as well as the construction of a new hall on the north side of the church building at no cost to Mark Street United Church.
In June 2024, TVM Group held a community consultation about a proposed 10-storey mixed-use building at the site. Almost a year later, the developer submitted a notice of application to the City of Peterborough for a building that was seven stories taller.
“There’s an effort everywhere to intensify, and it’s not just in East City,” TVM Group CEO Amit Sofer told kawarthaNOW in May. “Intensification has been directed by the city, and we’re simply responding to that.”
At the time, Sofer said the rental costs of the units in the proposed building — which would include 66 one-bedroom units, 110 two-bedroom units, and 29 three-bedroom units — would range from $1,650 to $2,700 monthly.
Organizers behind the website at 90hunter.com, co-created and maintained by East City resident Courtney Claessens, have also distributed a flyer to local residents advising them of the upcoming public meeting and outlining concerns with the proposed development.
Those stated concerns are:
- No real public input: Plan jumped from 10 to 17 storeys without formal community consultation.
- Massing and heritage impacts: The heritage assessment warns the tower could significantly modify the historic church setting.
- Doesn’t respect city guidlines: Proposal doesn’t meet Urban Design Guidelines for property transitions.
- Climate impact: High-rises produce much higher carbon emissions than 4-10 storey buildings.
- Missed community benefits: Proposal comes in advance of new zoning rules (CPPS) that would require public amenities (affordable housing, green space etc) in exchange for extra height.
- This would be the tallest building in Peterborough, setting a precedent for future development on Hunter and across the city.
“We’re asking Council to reject this zoning amendment proposal, limit the building to 10 storeys, and require real community benefits — like affordable housing or green space,” the flyer states.
The flyer asks residents to visit 90hunter.com and sign a petition against the development (which currently has 457 signatures) and to contact city council.
An application to sever the development site from the Mark Street United Church property was on the agenda for the city’s committee of adjustment on July 22. kawarthaNOW has learned the committee deferred approving the severance application at that meeting due to various concerns.
The public meeting on the application for a zoning-by law amendment will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, August 25 in council chambers at Peterborough City Hall, where public delegations will also be heard. A staff report on the application will be posted on the city’s website by noon on Thursday, August 21.
