Condo towers proposed for long-vacant Southpark Motors lot

At least one Whyte Avenue resident is unhappy with a plan to transform a vacant car dealership lot into a series of residential and commercialtowers.

"I am not overly impressed," says Jessica Schroedl. "I bought my condo because it was in a small four-storey walk-up area, and it was quiet.

"After a couple of months of buying my condo, there's been a lot of highrises that have been planned to be done, and it's all in one area."

• City council approves controversial highrise just off Whyte Avenue

Schroedl was one of dozens of people who attendedan open house Tuesday night to discuss the bold development,which would include three 21-storeyresidentialtowers behind a four- tofive-storeycommercial building.

The Southpark Motors lot at106thStreet has been empty sinceGeneral Motors Canada closed or merged several dealerships in 2009 during the financial crisis.

Southpark Pontiac Buick GMC Cadillac was combined with Don Wheaton Chevrolet further east on the avenue.

The new owners of the lot, Wheaton Properties, are looking to rezone the lot to accommodate the bold plan.

Earlier this summer, city council approved a controversial 16-storey tower just off Whyte Avenue in Old Strathcona, despite protest from the community that the building would change the character of the historic neighbourhood.

The Mezzo tower will be built at the site of the closed Strathcona Presbyterian Church at 81st Avenue and 105th Street.

Schroedl thinksthe city will givein to the developer despite what area residents say at the open houses.

"From all the meetings that I've been to, and I've heard feedback from other people, it doesn't seem like we have much of an opinion.

"I think they do it for looks, to make us feel better about ourselves and that we are participating, but in reality it's up to city council."