The developers for the 9 Burney St. development are continuing to work on the project and plan to announce next steps for the proposal soon.
The developers—Mitch Wilson and Russell Preston—are proposing to demolish an existing three-family structure at 11 Burney St. and construct a 27,629-square-foot, four-story building with a recessed fifth floor. The project includes 25 rental units, of which three will be designated as income restricted, with five parking spaces. The project also proposes ground floor restaurant space and a 2,853-square-foot laneway as a public open space for recreational activities, outdoor restaurant seating, and as a pathway through the site.
“The planning and design of a building and new outdoor space such as the Laneway takes time. We have not wanted to rush this process and have been working creatively on additional ideas for improving the project. We have continued to talk with our neighbors about these new ideas and are thankful for the many residents in the Mission Hill community that support the project. We hope to be able to announce news about the next steps after the New Year,” Preston said in an email to the Gazette late last month.
The project was first filed with BPDA at the beginning of last year and has been presented to several community meetings and has undergone a revision.
The local community has had a split response to the development. Much of the opposition are residents who live close to the project and who are mainly concerned about height, density, and traffic. Those in support have included the local business community and other residents excited about the creation of new retail space and the no-student policy of the developers.
Following a May BPDA community meeting, the development team for 9 Burney St. decided to hold a series of pop-up project studios to further engage with the community on the proposed project. The developer also created a website for the community to learn more about the project, here: lanewaymissionhill.com.