A proposal to redevelop the former Rona-Cashway site on King Street West into a two-storey 28,944 square foot featuring Shoppers Drug Mart retail and second floor medical offices was circulated for comments last month.

City planning staff are now reviewing the application, and working with Shoppers Drug Mart planners on possible changes to the design and orientation to the building.

One of the proposal’s aspects apparently being discussed is the current plan to locate parking between King Street and the building’s entrance. That issue, along with the concern the building might be a bit too big for the site, were included in a letter from the Downtown Dundas BIA to Shoppers Drug Mart.

“There’s just questions that need to be asked,” BIA chair Phyllis Kraemar said at last month’s Dundas Community Council meeting.

She said there is a concern the proposed set back from the road allowance to allow parking in front of the building does not fit with existing buildings in downtown Dundas, and could open the door to similar redevelopment along the community’s main commercial street.

“We want the best building for the site,” Dundas city councillor Russ Powers said.

The proposal does not follow the 1999 Town of Dundas King Street Urban Design Guidelines. That study recommended all corner-lot buildings have a main entrance located as close as possible to the corner. Existing examples include Carnegie Gallery and the Thirsty Cactus.

Shoppers did alter original plans to locate the front entrance away from King Street.

Jason Thompson, a project manager in the city’s planning department, said alternatives for design and orientation are being considered by the agent representing Shoppers Drug Mart.

But Shoppers spokesperson Tammy Smitham said she checked with the company’s real estate and planning staff and neither were prepared to offer any update on their progress this week.

Ms. Smitham confirmed Shoppers still has not reached an agreement to lease the Dundas property from its current owner.

Rona sold the site in February to a numbered company that includes three directors who are all lawyers at the firm WeirFoulds in Toronto. Sylvia Adriano, Kenneth Prehogan and Wayne Rosenman have declined to comment since they bought the site almost nine months ago.

Shoppers Drug Mart denied any plans to build a new store on the site until the final week of May, when the company requested a consultation with Hamilton’s planning department.