Initiative 3: Corridor Expansion Study and Plan
Expand and enable “missing middle” transit supportive housing options in the Sugarbush South neighbourhood, near the City’s post secondary institutions and public transit.
The City is looking to enable more “missing middle” transit supportive housing options to be built in the Sugarbush South neighbourhood in a two-part process as shown in the map below.
Component 1 – Expansion of Columbia Street West Minor Corridor (Area A)
The first component pertains to the expansion of the Columbia Street West Minor Corridor through the City’s current Official Plan Review and Official Plan Amendment 58 which includes:
- Identification of Columbia Street West (Area A) as a Minor Corridor in Schedule 'B' - City Structure;
- Identification of Columbia Street West (Area A) as Medium Rise, 6 storeys in Schedule Schedule ‘B1’ – Built Form'; and
- Identification of Columbia Street West (Area A) as Medium Rise Residential in Schedule 'A' – Land Use Plan
Official Plan Amendment 58 will be considered by Council at a formal public meeting on December 2. More information is available on the Updating the City of Waterloo Official Plan project page. A Zoning By-law Amendment to implement the Official Plan modifications will follow next year, along with an Official Plan Amendment to permit increased height from 6 to 8 storeys.
Component 2 – Enabling of Missing Middle Housing (Area B)
The second component pertains to enabling missing middle housing just north of the proposed Columbia Street West Minor Corridor. To facilitate public consultation and discussion, staff have proposed a planning framework that would facilitate development that is similar to what can be seen in the interior of the Northdale neighbourhood, being multi-unit buildings up to six storeys in height, while existing Medium Density Residential properties would facilitate multi-unit buildings up to eight storeys in height. Subject to Council approval, an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment would follow in 2025.
Future engagement opportunities as well as project updates will be posted on this page, and you can also request to be placed on the project email list by emailing Tanja.Curic@waterloo.ca.
Key actions:
Component 1 – Minor Corridor Expansion by way of Official Plan Review process
- Formal Public Meeting and Council consideration of Official Plan modifications by way of Official Plan Amendment (December 2, 2024)
- Zoning By-law Amendment to implement the Official Plan modifications and Official Plan Amendment to allow increased height from 6 to 8 storeys (by year-end 2025)
Component 2 – Enabling Missing Middle Housing
- Staff report including planning framework recommendations to Council to enable missing middle housing (January 2025)
- Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment process to enable missing middle housing in the neighbourhood (by year-end 2025)
HAF Grant Net new units: 50
HAF Grant Implementation timeline: December 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026
Return to City of Waterloo Housing Accelerator Fund page.
