Three new high-end hotels with a price tag of around $600 million are set to be built in Niagara Falls.

The proposed hotels are to be built on Robinson St. and will face Queen Victoria Park, adding two 38-storey buildings and a 56-storey building to the city skyline.

Michael Kirkland, architect for Kirkland Partnership Inc. and agent for Canadian Niagara Hotels, told city council the buildings will be connected by a 1,000 ft. rooftop path, along with rooftop swimming pools, a large restaurant section at ground level, and house 1,800 rooms with luxurious views of the falls.

Kirkland presented some illustrations of the proposed plans Tuesday night at city council.

The buildings were approved to exceed their original proposed height of 35 storeys and will instead be 38 storeys, in a compromise to accommodate the city’s recommendation that the buildings be spaced further apart.

Originally the hotels were set to be 14 metres apart, but the city recommended that be changed to 21 metres, with a goal of 25.

Canadian Niagara Hotels agent Michael Kirkland said because of the extra space between hotels the buildings would lose floor space and proposed the 38 storey amendment so the hotels could still include all of the planned designs.

Owners of the Skylon Tower were opposed to the increase in height, but council decided they were less concerned with height and more concerned with having space between the buildings.

Councillor Carolynn Loannoni said she was worried the hotels being so close together would “create a wall.” 

“I have less issue with going up than I do with it being that close together,” said Loannoni.

Mayor Jim Diodati echoed her statements saying an extra three storeys “doesn’t bother him at all.”

The hotel site still needs to have cultural and environmental assessments before the first phase of the three-phase plan can begin.

The hotels will bring around 2,000 full-time permanent jobs to Niagara Falls, said Kirkland.