Moncton’s planning advisory committee gave its approval for a trio of 15-storey buildings on vacant land in the New Brunswick city’s downtown.

Three 12-storey towers are proposed over a three-storey podium of ground floor commercial space and more than 430 underground parking spaces.

If built, the complex would be the first major residential construction on the south side of Main Street since the city approved a downtown plan in 2018 seeking to replace vast tracts of surface parking with new buildings.

The plans were proposed as the city sees more high-density residential construction downtown, much of it catering to people with higher incomes. 

The committee voted unanimously Wednesday evening at a meeting held by video conference to allow several bylaw variances required for the buildings city staff described as minor given the scope of the plans.

Sarah Anderson, a senior planner with the city, said at the meeting that municipal staff strongly supported the plans.

“This is a perfect example of a thoughtful, urban infill development that does recognize the pedestrian-scale streetscape, while providing for a sort of sophisticated, high density, big-city development,” she said.

Keep reading on CBC News

Check out more news below: