The St. John’s City Council will revisit its decision to allow Sonco Group to develop the AP Parking Garage in downtown St. John’s.

The controversial development involves the construction of a hotel atop the existing parking garage on Harbour Drive.

Some applaud the proposed design, while others consider it an obstructive eyesore.

Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O’Leary brought forward a petition containing some 6000 signatures, calling on city council to rescind their decision, at yesterday’s council meeting.

O’Leary says the number of signatures on the petition clearly shows that there was not enough public consultation.

She calls 2020 a “fierce” year, and basic survival was on the minds of most residents, rather than the development in question.

O’Leary says she would like to see members of council rescind the motion and have further discussions with the developers to see how the development could better serve residents of St. John’s

Mayor Danny Breen voted in favour of the development.

He’s comfortable with the amount of engagement that took place, indicating the two public hearings saw a sufficient amount of input.

Breen says there was a significant amount of feedback from email submissions and the two hearings. He says both Snowmageddon and COVID-19 did not impact the public consultation process.

Breen says he expects the motion to rescind, and to be brought forward and voted on by council at the next meeting on June 8th.

Council voted 6-5 to allow the four-storey hotel to be built on top of the garage, ground-level retail and office space will be added, and 21 spaces of parking relief will go ahead at one Clift’s Baird’s Cove.