Regina city council heavily in favour of disputed Douglas Park apartment build

A proposed apartment project in Regina’s Douglas Park neighbourhood received strong support from city council at a special meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

Council voted heavily in favour of approving the five-storey 90 unit project that has received significant pushback from area residents, only Ward 5 Coun. John Findura voted against the project.

Council still debated the potential build, which would also contain a daycare, for more than a handful of hours before allowing it to proceed.

Some residents in the neighbourhood who appeared at the meeting reiterated their concerns that the apartment would have negative affects on the area, including creating higher traffic and its proximity to a school.

The property would be located at 535 Douglas Ave. East, the proposed build was submitted to the city by The Winchester Group, whose founder and current director is Joshua Bresciani, son of Coun. Lori Bresciani.

(City of Regina) Administration and the city’s planning commission recommended that council approve the project and gave five recommendations for councillors to debate during the special meeting.

Those included amending residential zoning bylaws and instructing the city’s solicitor to prepare new bylaw amendments that would legally allow the project to become a reality.

-- With files from Cole Davenport