Committee plays hard ball with Medallion Corporation over illegally converted parking lot

Politicians want to leverage Medallion Corporation’s desperation for additional parking to achieve some of the city’s housing goals in the Old East Village.

Politicians want to leverage Medallion Corporation’s desperation for additional parking to achieve some of the city’s housing goals in the Old East Village.

“We’ve exhausted all of our options searching for parking in this area. We understand that there was an issue,” Medallion Corporation’s Development Manager Luka Kot told councillors on the Planning and Environment Committee.

Medallion did not dispute a staff report that seven residences at the corner of King and Hewitt streets were incrementally demolished from 2009 to 2016 and, “illegally converted to surface parking to serve the [three] residential apartment buildings at 690, 696, 698, and 700 King St. and 400 Lyle St..”

A three-year temporary rezoning to permit the parking lot would accommodate tenants until a fourth building planned for the southwest corner of Dundas and Hewitt streets is constructed with 100 extra spots.

But several councillors saw an opportunity to apply some pressure on Medallion to break ground on its fourth tower as soon as possible.

“We have an urgent situation with housing and I want to ensure that the building permit is [issued by] next spring,” Coun. Susan Stevenson said.

Stevenson suggested just a one-year temporary rezoning.