A planned rental tower on the cusp of approval by Toronto City Council has fired up local residents in the affluent Avenue and St. Clair area, characterizing the planned building as a "monstrosity" and "giant monolith" that threatens the safety of the area. The proposal from developer Fitzrovia and Hariri Pontarini Architects at 135 St. Clair Ave. W. would see the current government office building at the southeast corner of Avenue Rd. and St. Clair razed to make way for a 49-storey rental tower with 576 new apartments, retail, public art, and an early childhood education centre. The letter from the SHDHA filed on Aug. 29 flags "a number of concerns regarding the proposed project at 135 St. Clair Avenue West, primarily related to the excessive height of the structure." Despite all of these efforts, it seems the community was unable to slow the wheels of the municipal approval process.