Proposed condo brings promise of excitement to ‘dreary’ Burlington industrial area

A proposed residential tower could provide a unique new high-rise look to a very industrial low-rise area of Burlington.

The project planned for 1026 Cooke St. near Plains Rd. E. calls for 335 living units of various sizes in the 29-storey building that would replace a small business complex.

However, it is the look of the structure that is attracting attention and could lead the way in the design of other projects in the area.

Unlike other towers going up across the city that many complain are cut from the same mould, the Cooke Rd. project features a sweeping three-dimensional design on the outer surface along with a multi-storied podium.

“The look is very striking,” a local planner told inhalton.com. “It doesn’t look like the rest of the buildings that you see rising in the city. It’s bold without being over-the-top and appears to be quite functional. If it gets approved it will turn an area that is quite dreary into one that could be very exciting.”

The location, which is also near Waterdown Rd., is earmarked for more redevelopment and with that comes the hope for more interesting designs.

“If the buildings are designed with fascinating shapes and more artistically it makes them attractive for the entire community and certainly more acceptable to those who fear neighbourhood intensification,” the planner added.

As well as the already mentioned amenities, 1026 Cooke St. will contain ground floor space for stores and offices and four levels of parking for tenant cars and bicycles.

The project is still at the application stage and needs to go through several processes of approval before it can be built.