This article was previously published on CambridgeToday.
A half-demolished former furniture factory, across from Four Fathers brewery and down the road from new homes being built at the Forbes Estate, could eventually be the site of a new apartment complex.
The city has received an application to rezone 130 Guelph Ave. for a six-storey, 112-unit apartment building with six commercial units in the basement.
Each unit would be considered affordable and would be available in a mix of one, two and three bedrooms.
Landmark Homes is asking to increase the property's maximum density from 80 to 129-units per hectare, change the zoning from industrial to residential and change its official plan designation to low medium density residential.
The site is within a "regeneration area," close to Hespeler's core which currently permits a maximum density of 80 units per hectare.
The property is on a transit route and close to parks, schools and several amenities.
Each unit would get one parking space in addition to a space for every four units for a total of 140 spaces. Parking for 72 bicycles would also be included.
A traffic impact study demonstrated traffic movements on Guelph Avenue would continue to operate at acceptable levels through 2031.
The site isn't without its problems, however.
The old factory site has been the home of numerous businesses since the 1930s and was used for everything from manufacturing to storage.
Part of the building, with various addresses on Guelph Avenue and Sheffield Street, was the home of furniture manufacturers The House of Pine and Hespeler Craft Industries Ltd.
Those businesses operated between 1978 and the early '90s, before the building was divided up and used by businesses like Saturn Office Furniture and the Cambridge Martial Arts Centre starting in 2013.
All of that industrial use is outlined in a two-phase environmental assessment that requires a remediation plan. The assessment determined about 200 tonnes of contaminated soil will need to be excavated and removed from the site before the redevelopment can begin.
Residents will have a chance to learn more about the proposal and present their concerns during a public meeting scheduled for April 8 in council chambers.
A report and recommendation will follow at a council meeting on May 27.
Anyone who wants to speak at either meeting can register here.