KITCHENER -- Kitchener city councillors have laid the groundwork for a project that will transform the area around The Aud.

The Monday night decision from those at city hall was the final stamp approval for a six-story and five-story building to go up on Borden Avenue.

The land in question has been vacant for over ten years, sits in a neighbourhood of mostly single homes and a few low-rise apartments, and is less than half a kilometre away from the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium's entrance.

Some of the community told council they were worried about an increase in traffic with a school and the Aud all nearby.

The development will bring 166 rental units to the market which, according to councilor Sarah Marsh, are the most in-demand type of housing.

"Housing costs are so high, rental costs are really going out of control, so the more housing stock we can offer and that we can see being supplied, the better it will be for the residents who are renting," she said.

The buildings will have more bicycle parking than vehicle parking, a growing trend in the region in anticipation of more people cycling and using public transit.