April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Mar. 2024)
Newly constructed laneway suite near Borden and Bloor underscores the many possibilities for infill housing that are feasible and permissible in older downtown neighbourhoods. READ MORE HERE. BRIAN BURCHELL/GLEANER NEWS
April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on NEWS: Laneway suites taking hold (Mar. 2024)
How residential properties are evolving
By James Bullanoff
A recent influx of laneway suites has hit the Annex area as homeowners explore alternative housing options for their properties.
According to a map created using open-source data from the City of Toronto, there are 19 legal laneway suites in the Gleaner coverage area. The Gleaner reached out to the builder of a laneway suite just south of Bloor, along with their client. A tour inside revealed how it is possible to add new housing on land that is already occupied by a house.
The City of Toronto has not agreed on the type of language to use when describing this type of housing. Laneway suites are housing units built on the same piece of land as the original property, or a severed piece of land. They are defined as having a laneway that acts as its own separate access point.
Some, like this example, are not actually on a piece of the property that has been legally severed, but the unit is a permissible separate dwelling.
In addition, garden suites are self-contained units that lack their own access point and are on unsevered property. They are typically limited in size.
Igor Skoskiewicz, a retired electrical engineer and the homeowner, spoke to the Gleaner about his passion for building the laneway suite: “Always wanted to do it. When the right to build came out, we just jumped on it immediately.”
Originally, the property near Borden and Bloor streets featured a garage; however, Skoskiewicz decided to build a new house instead as he felt the property could be used better.
The builder is also converting the main home basement into a separate unit. He mentioned the additional housing will be rented at first, but will eventually be for personal use. He did not mention the rental fee.
This laneway suite behind Borden is a two-storey, two-bedroom unit with one bathroom. It features a kitchen and living space on the main floor, with the bedrooms and the bathroom upstairs. While the concept for this type of housing is practical, building it still requires a ton of work.
“Essentially anywhere in the City of Toronto, you can build a house in your backyard, as long as your lot has the proper dimensions and setbacks,” said Kyle Springer, project manager of 2X2 Construction.
He started his family business in early 2019 and now specializes in laneway and garden suites but they “really have a passion for infill development projects.” The company has branded itself as “Toronto’s leading laneway and garden suite builder.” They broke ground on their first house back in 2020, during the start of the global pandemic. They realized that not many builders were in the market for this type of construction.
“We saw an opportunity in the market. We got in early and now we are one of…if not the top builder in Ontario for building these units.”
Laneway suites have been legal since June 28, 2018. Back in February 2022, the City of Toronto greenlit garden suites, properties that are built on the same lot within an enclosed space. These properties are typically smaller and more modest to fit within the scale of the area. While the concept of getting more housing in Toronto sounds appealing, many have not been satisfied with how slow laneway and garden suites have caught on. Recent reports from CityNews have shown that the rise in these alternative housing options has been “lacklustre” leaving many to consider whether this type of housing will be a real solution to Toronto housing.
According to Springer, the builds take, on average, around eight to nine months during the construction phase, and he is currently working on around eight projects. There is also the design aspect before the construction period. “I would say anywhere from one year to one and a half years for a project like this from the initial idea in the customer’s head to actually getting the keys and moving in,” said Springer. 2X2 Construction completed a few other projects in the area, including one near Harbord Street and Euclid Avenue, and one near Clinton and Bloor streets. Springer said they have completed 10 projects and have about four or five currently under construction.
“I think people will jump on it more and more. They’re not cheap. But if folks want to do it, they can do it now. Having two homes on your property, for some people, it might not be a good thing, but for us we like it,” said Skoskiewicz.
April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on NEWS: U of T builds tower out of structural timber (Mar. 2024)
Resurgence of sustainable wood beams and columns
View looking northwest across Varsity Field at a rendering of the new timber tower under construction. RENDERING BY PA+MJMA ARCHITECTS
By Ammara Khan
The University of Toronto is currently in the process of constructing the tallest academic timber building in the world, predicted to be complete by mid-2026.
The new build will be located near the intersection of Devonshire Place and Bloor Street. The top five floors of the building will be home to Rotman’s specialized executive education programs. Other floors will also allow the faculty of kinesiology & physical education to “expand its work as one of the world’s top-ranked sports science programs of its kind,” according to the University of Toronto’s press release.
Patkau and MJMA were the lead architectural firms working on this project. For their work on what is billed as the Academic Wood Tower, they were awarded the Canadian Architect Award by Canadian Architect Magazine in 2019.
Roy Cloutier, a member of Patkau who works on this project, said that while it will be a record-breaking building, it will also act as “a flagship example of the University’s sustainable-building innovation programs.”
Cloutier said that the architects originally planned for the structure to be made of steel, but then proposed to switch it to mass timber, which the university was all for.
“Our goal was to make sustainable design a core, visible part of the everyday experience of the building,” said Cloutier. “What we’re hoping to show with this project is that beauty, joy, health, and more don’t need to be in competition with performance measures, as is sometimes thought. Instead, when designed with care, they can be a direct result of them.”
Cloutier also talked about carbon sequestration. “Trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. When they’re harvested and turned into lumber, that carbon is stored in the building rather than released into the atmosphere.”
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Climate Portal, materials such as steel and concrete produce the most emissions from construction today. They state that “both of those materials cause significant greenhouse gas emissions, because their production typically involves burning fossil fuels to create high industrial heats.”
Research shows that the timber building will offset approximately 70 per cent of the carbon emitted during the construction of the project. “This places it well below even the most stringent embodied carbon targets of the Canada Green Building Council,” said Cloutier.
Timber was selected not only to be as sustainable as possible but also to be visible and displayed in the building’s design. The building features sustainable technologies beyond the use of timber, for example, controlling how the sun hits the building. Cloutier said, “At the south facade, horizontal ribbon windows use sunshades to control the direct light in the offices, shaped to allow warmth in the winter while keeping it out during the summer.”
Harry Xu, a passionate environmentalist, student of environmental sciences, and president of the environmentalism student club Regenesis Scarborough at the University of Toronto, spoke about how they perceive this recent sustainable building project.
“Wood is a very traditional, accessible, and environmentally friendly material to use in history,” said Xu. “There are wooden historical buildings from many cultures that are still standing today.”
Despite this, they brought up some concerns in terms of the ethical factors, as well as environmental impacts.
They highlight the importance of thinking about the origins of raw materials used in construction of the tower.
“It depends where they source the materials from and how ethically, in terms of the labouring, were the materials sourced. It could be sourced from a remote location. In that case you wouldn’t necessarily destroy the local forests but could be costing the forests of other places around the world. You cannot benefit yourself at someone else’s cost.”
The University of Toronto released a press release that stated, “The tower’s timber is homegrown, originating in Western Canada.”
Xu also said, “There is no doubt that wood is a renewable material, but you really have to look at the timescale when it comes to the term ‘renewable.’ It could take centuries for a nice forest to be grown naturally.”
The sustainable Academic Wood Tower was built with some of those concerns in mind.
Cloutier said, “Instead of cutting down old-growth trees to make timber beams as was once done, now we can harvest younger farmed trees, cut them into 2x6s, then laminate those together into larger elements.”
The use of timber in architecture is not entirely new. Echoing what Xu said earlier, Cloutier shared, “It’s always been there in a sense! Many of the oldest and most loved buildings in the world are built of wood in one form or another.”
“More recently (over the past 50 years or so), the timber industry has developed a number of innovative technologies under the banner of ‘mass timber.’”
In order for the timber industry to become more sustainable, technologies like the ones used in the Academic Wood Tower have spread “over the last twenty or so years,” said Cloutier.
Not only is glue laminated timber more environmentally conscious, it also comes with technical properties.
“It’s strong, light, and dampens sounds well. Perhaps ironically, it’s also highly resistant to fire due to the char behaviour of larger timber members, as recent studies and testing have shown,” said Cloutier.
April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on NEWS: Hot Docs cinema seeks support (Mar. 2024)
Post-pandemic economic woes mean the Bloor needs your help
A cinema has occupied 506 Bloor St. W. continuously since 1913. COURTESY JOSEPH MICHAEL HOWARTH/HOT DOCS
By Brian Burchell
After having some record attendance of 225,000 visitors in 2019, the Hot Docs/Ted Rogers Bloor Cinema is now enduring a post-pandemic hangover, and is urgently seeking financial support to keep going.
In a release in March, Hot Docs President Marie Nelson reports that the “pandemic closure severely disrupted Hot Docs operations and its impacts are still being felt. We are currently facing a significant operational deficit that threatens our long-term sustainability.”
For more than 30 years Hot Docs has advanced the art of the documentary and has become Canada’s preeminent documentary film institution attracting global attention.
While audiences post-pandemic have started to return the pace of that return is not commensurate with the cost of operations.
While steps have been taken to reduce overheads, Nelson reports “we are quickly losing runway and urgently need direct support to our ensure our future viability.”
Though they have reached out to all levels of government for help, the organization is pleading directly with its patrons to buy a ticket package to this year’s Festival which is exhibited April 25-May 5.
In addition they are asking film goers to become a members to enjoy benefits year round. They have are offering a 25 per cent discount to new members by using a promotional code HDFest24Promo through their website www.hotdocs.ca.
April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on NEWS: From field to wall (Mar. 2024)
Soil Soul Wholeness and the impacts on agriculture
New mural at 380 Bloor St. W. pays homage to farmers. JAMES BULLANOFF/GLEANER NEWS
By James Bullanoff
Soil Soul Wholeness, a recent mural installed in the Annex, invites those to consider the work of farmers and the impacts of large grocery chains on agriculture.
The mural, located at 380 Bloor St. W., invites viewers to consider the “well-being of land” by supporting farmers. The mural was installed in September 2023 and was designed by local artist Leeay Aikawa.
“I wanted to uplift [farmers’] voices and their fantastic role of taking care of the land and also producing local foods, so that the buyers, consumers, us, can pay more attention to what’s grown here,” said Aikawa.
Aikawa used bold colours rather than her usual earth tones to convey how farmers are akin to “soul creators” because of their ability to see the value in the soil. Her focus was to show the value of local produce.
“I didn’t want to promote people to go to big supermarkets like Walmart to do the shopping, because all those [corporations] are what’s kind of taking [the] livelihood from farmers, taking away their jobs.”
Aikawa mentioned how she drew inspiration from a variety of different artworks in the formation of her piece. The composition of the mandala—a circular symbol in Buddist and Hindu culture—in the middle of the mural and humans in the four corners is inspired by a mosaic she saw in the Vatican.
The centre ribcage with the tree seed flowing down is a reference to Aikawa’s Woven Earth Breath, a piece she created on Nov. 22, 2021, that is posted on her Instagram @leeay. This part aims to portray the “well-being of breath” from spending time in nature. She wanted to explain “something that [she] cannot explain in words.”
Melanie Ramsay, project coordinator of the Bloor-Annex BIA, said she wanted to have a work that paired with Talie Shalmon’s recent piece, across the alleyway at 378 Bloor St. W. The BIA seeks grant support every year from the City of Toronto’s Outdoor Mural and Street Art Grant to develop a new piece on walls that have been neglected.
“You’re much less likely to get those kind of lazy taggers come in and vandalize the area and the space,” said Ramsay about the location. The wall on the opposite side of this mural, on the side of Vietnam Lovely Noodle, was the “most graffitied wall in the Annex” in 2021.
In the callout for artists, the theme of the mural was “urban food systems” and it needed to align with the “greening” objectives of the BIA and touch on current issues in the city, including food security, food equity, and sustainability.
The BIA put in another application for vinyl mural printing, a process where the artist creates a digital design that is then printed on vinyl and heat-bonded to the wall. “I think it’s definitely a better product for us, because of the vandalism we see. This protects the actual brick itself,” said Ramsay.
April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Ford‘s actions “reflect a juvenile understanding of the role of the judiciary” (Mar. 2024)
In the wake of Premier Doug Ford’s move to politicize the Ontario judiciary by only “appointing like-minded judges” whom he says will put more people in jail, three former chief justices have criticized the move, saying that “judges do not take orders from government.”
It was revealed by the Toronto Star a month ago that Ford has appointed two former political staffers to the judicial appointments advisory committee which recommends candidates for judges and justices-of-the-peace in the Ontario Court of Justice. The ostensibly arm’s-length body now has his former deputy chief of staff as its chair. When this was revealed, Ford was unapologetic; he was not seeking the most qualified people to be judges, he wanted only the “like-minded.” Former Chief Justices Sidney Linden, Brian Lennox, and Annemarie Bonkalo have expressed a legitimate worry: “We are concerned that such a suggestion [of a “like-minded judiciary”], if not corrected, may discourage otherwise qualified candidates from applying for appointment.” In other words, if you don’t think like Doug, don’t bother.
The Federation of Ontario Law Associations (FOLA) said that Ford’s comments “reflect a juvenile understanding of the role of an independent judiciary. We would expect this sort of commentary from a MAGA [Make America Great Again] Republican, not the premier of Ontario,” said FOLA Chair Douglas Judson. We have all seen what happens south of the border where media will routinely report on whether or not the accused landed a Republican- or Democratic-appointed judge. This changes whether or not we think the process will be fair and impartial.
Ten years ago, when Doug Ford was a Toronto city councillor, he was called upon to do jury duty. He didn’t think he should have to do it, telling the Toronto Sun, “The person I convict…should not know who I am” sparking a strong rebuke from Superior Court Justice Michael Quigley about the importance of respecting the presumption of innocence and of the need to review evidence of crime before a “conviction” can be rendered. Ford seemed not to understand the process or was not prepared to accept it: The point of the courts is to determine guilt or innocence. The case ended in a mistrial as lawyers alleged that Ford had tainted the jury.
In Ford’s mind, then and now apparently, one is guilty at the point of arrest. Most people in Ontario’s jails are legally innocent. Eighty per cent of inmates are remanded in custody while they await trial or bail and have yet to be convicted of the crime they are charged with. That number is only growing with the majority of jails being over capacity.
The Conservative government has made matters worse by underfunding the courts and Legal Aid. His response is that he will build more jails. “I’m sick and tired of judges letting these people out on bail. We’re going to hire tough judges, that’s what we are doing” said Ford. It’s not clear that denying bail ultimately lowers crime and keeps people safe.
More often than not what is needed is mental health and substance abuse supports, affordable housing, and a livable income. All of which are provincial responsibilities.
If more jails are the answer then why does the United States, with one of the highest levels of incarceration rates in the western world, have so much violent crime relative to Canada?
The bombastic way that Ford expresses himself, his insidious form of populism, sets us on course for a U.S.-style partisan justice system. Ford does not care about evidence of crime, or lack thereof, he just wants to been seen to be coming down hard on it. His is hardly the kind of mind we should seek to emulate on the bench.
April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on FORUM: University-Rosedale update from the councillor’s chair (Mar. 2024)
Budget, development planning, and safety, fill agenda
By Dianne Saxe
The 2024 budget is finally done. Thank you to the thousands of people in Ward 11 and across Toronto who participated in this year’s intensive consultations.
A $17 billion budget is challenging at the best of times. It was especially hard this year, after 13 years of kicking cans down the road, a pandemic, growth pressures, and high inflation, to finally begin to close the gap between city revenues and obligations.
Throughout the budget process, I was squarely focused on the deterioration of city infrastructure and on our lack of climate progress.
In response to my persistent questions, the mayor created a $50 million Back on Track fund for urgent repairs: $30 million for transportation and $20 million for parks. It’s a drop in the bucket, but an important one, and I’m lobbying both departments for urgent repairs in our ward.
I was also successful in squeezing into this difficult budget two new staff for Environment & Climate and nearly $1 million for extra tree planting, watering, and pruning.
Auto thefts are way up across Toronto, so we had a community town hall dedicated to the subject in February.
The federal government has promised to improve security at the Port of Montreal, where most stolen cars are shipped. Meanwhile, 53 Division of Toronto Police Services is doing more proactive night patrols and is ready to handle your questions.
Communications with constituents continue to improve, as do signups for our popular monthly newsletter.
We are also working with residents’ associations on issues such as traffic calming (speed humps), street furniture, and noise.
Do you and your neighbours want a speed hump to slow traffic on your street? A roadside bench? More bike rings? Better signage? Extra garbage cans?
Work with your resident association to propose exact locations and to collect evidence of local support so that we can put them on Transportation’s construction list.
Good news: Every metric of TTC rider satisfaction improved in January, with service up, violence down, and 130 new customer service agents throughout the system.
Ridership continues to increase, and the One Fare system has launched.
The TTC Board approved my motion to design free transit for High and Middle School school trips, a first step towards free transit for those students.
At my request, Toronto Hydro adopted an environmental policy consistent with TransformTO. This is an enormous win for the city’s net-zero goals.
Hydro is also now starting to develop criteria for connecting “non-standard” customers after I helped two constituents who converted their home into a five-unit multiplex.
The February city council approved improvements to noise bylaw enforcement, new bus and bike lanes, and automated speed enforcement through administrative monetary penalties.
Better bike lane maintenance has also been greenlit because bike lanes should be safe and passable for bikes! BikeShare rides soared again, up 47 per cent year-over-year even before we rolled out the new $5 BikeShare memberships for those in need.
Markham Street near Bloor is getting a new park as part of the Mirvish Village development. Residents have suggested naming it Honest Ed Park, Mirvish Village Park or Markham Street Park. Do you have an opinion or suggestion? Write in today and let us know!
Here’s to a safe and happy spring!
Dianne Saxe is city councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale.
April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on FORUM: Privatization, sprawl, and highways, oh my (Mar. 2024)
Ford adds increased natural gas costs, and heath-care failures to the mix of misdeeds
By Jessica Bell
Premier Ford loves to say he’s getting stuff done. But who is Ford getting stuff done for, and how does it affect the rest of us? Here’s the latest roundup from Queen’s Park.
Is Highway 413 coming to a farm near you?
The Conservatives are moving ahead with building the controversial Highway 413, a $6 to $10 billion project that cuts through precious farmland and the Greenbelt.
Instead of building a highway we don’t need, let’s use the highways we’ve got.
We are calling for the removal of tolls for transport trucks on Highway 407. Environmental Defense, who is supportive of this proposal, calculates this would move 12,000 to 21,000 trucks a day off Highway 401, cutting travel time for passenger vehicles by 50 per cent.
Highway 407 is so underused you can land a plane on it in the middle of the day. Literally, a plane did land on Highway 407 in the middle of the day.
Gas prices could be on the rise.
The Conservatives have introduced Bill 165, the Keeping Energy Bills Down Act. It does quite the opposite.
The bill gives Enbridge the power to force existing customers to pay for its plan to expand gas infrastructure. That means you and I could be paying up to $600 more in our energy bills to fund Enbridge’s plan to build risky gas infrastructure and keep us hooked on gas.
Ontario needs to rapidly move away from fossil fuel use and toward energy efficiency and green energy, installing heat pumps in homes, retrofitting homes and buildings, and encouraging local electricity generation. Other cities and states are doing it, and so can we.
Sprawl 3.0. No thank you.
I kid you not, the Conservatives are once again stealthily redrawing municipal boundaries in Halton, Waterloo, Peel, York, Wellington County, and more, to approve the construction of low-density single-family homes on nearby farmland.
We are already hearing reports that some of the rezoned land is owned by PC party donors who stand to make a whole lot of money by having their land rezoned for development.
The government’s own housing affordability task force says Ontario doesn’t need to pave over more farmland to build enough homes to meet demand because there’s enough land zoned for development. Toronto and Hamilton are two cities that are moving ahead with building more duplexes, triplexes, and apartments and are well on track to meet their housing targets. We can solve our housing crisis and protect our farmland at the same time.
It costs how much to go to a family doctor?
In February, I held a press conference at Queen’s Park with former patients of the Taddle Creek Family Health Team who were suddenly left without a family doctor when their physician moved to a for-profit, executive health clinic called MDDirect. The clinic charges patients $4,995 per year just to see a family doctor.
The rise in executive medical clinics like MDDirect are a warning that we are moving to a two-tiered health care system, where those with means get better access to the care, and the rest of us are left with less.
In fact, many residents in University-Rosedale do not have a family doctor.
This is Canada. We strive to build an excellent public health care system where you get good care based on need, not on how much you earn.
The Canada Health Act is very clear. Health care providers cannot engage in extra billing or charge for medically necessary services like this.
The government should be investigating these private clinics. They should be enforcing the Canada Health Act and banning exorbitant annual fees. And the government should be investing in primary care to ensure everyone in Ontario has a family doctor they can see with their OHIP card, not their credit card.
I want to thank the Annex residents who raised this issue with me.
Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Official Opposition’s Housing Critic. She can be reached at jbell@ndp.on.ca or 416-535-7206.
April 7th, 2024 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: A lament for the tree inventory (Mar. 2024)
As more people move in, more green space needs to be considered
Spring is my favourite time to get outside and enjoy what park spaces this city has to offer. Sadly, there really isn’t that much of it. In the Annex, we have a few strips north of Bloor where homes were taken out for the subway, there’s Taddle Creek Park, and then there’s Jean Sibelius. It really is scant green space for the 14,000 people who call this area home. In case you haven’t noticed, the Mirvish Village development on the old Honest Ed’s lot is near completion, and it won’t be long before 1000s more call this area home, competing to use the green space that’s available. The little green space we have is also losing its beautiful canopy coverage.
We have been continuing to survey and document the neighbourhood trees for the 10-year neighbourhood tree update. The data is still preliminary but 1 in 4 trees that were standing in 2011 are now gone. This is a huge loss when we think about how large many of these trees were and that the replacements are mere saplings. What makes this worse is that there is only one new sapling planted for every two trees lost. If this sounds like a green space crisis to you, you would be correct. Losing 25 per cent of standing trees over a decade is a huge loss. For those of you with children at Huron Public School, you will know that the large beloved tree that stood in the yard is no more.
Over a half dozen trees came down at Jean Sibelius last year from what I consider overzealous chopping. Many of those trees presented as healthy according to our team of surveyors, and I do not accept the city’s response that they were a safety hazard. Children are supposed to climb trees. They took down trees for fear of children climbing them. I cannot stress enough how our extreme safety culture causes damage to our environment and even our children’s development.
Some things you can do to help. Plant a tree (or three). We need neighbours to plant trees in every spot that is available. If you have lost a tree on your property, it is especially important to get one into the ground. If there is a larger, older tree near you, plant one close to it now so it’s not completely barren sky when the inevitable happens and the large, majestic tree has to come down. It’s possible.
Let the city know that you want trees in parks replaced. Those trees in Jean Sibelius Park should never have come down in the first place. Be loud about getting them replaced. Also, let the city councillor, Dianne Saxe know that you support the idea of pop-up picnic tables along the northern edge of the park. Taking away unused car space and returning it to the community as much as we can is the only way we will have more, much-needed green space in this city.
Toronto is a city of three million people. We need to put more developments upward, along transit corridors. We should be supporting taller projects that are right on the subway. However, these developments should be car-free, and the tradeoff is that more people on foot need more pedestrian spaces. We need wider sidewalks, not wider roads, the latter is simply an exercise in futility.
Terri Chu is an engineer committed to practical environmentalism. This column is dedicated to helping the community reduce energy and distinguish environmental truths from myths.
April 6th, 2024 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Feb. 2024)
The original Model T Roadster pictured above featured a detachable roof and is on permanent display in the Dupont Street building where they were manufactured in 1915. Please click here to read more. MIA KESKINEN/GLEANER NEWS
Comments Off on ON THE COVER (Feb. 2024)Tags:General
April 6th, 2024 · Comments Off on DEVELOPINGS: Bloor and Spadina tower update (Feb. 2024)
Greater density is on the horizon throughout the Annex
By Fox Oliver and
Brian Burchell
The annual Annex Gleaner development synopsis will now be published over a series of editions. The sheer volume of developments in our area requires this. Where possible, images of the current site will be presented with architectural renderings of what is proposed/being constructed for that location. A year ago we featured the many developments pending near the intersection of Bloor Street West and Spadina Avenue. Here is an update on what has changed since then near that corner alone.
300 Bloor St. W. under construction.Rendering for 300 Bloor St. W.
300 Bloor St. W. Construction is well underway for this tower that also straddles the subway and shares the site with the Bloor Street United Church, the walls of which are shored in situ. A portion of the original church, built in 1886, and the entirety of the Pigeon House (on Huron Street) will be retained. The 30-storey building will have 284 units, retail/café space, and office space. Worship, community, and office space for the church will also be provided.
The developer is contributing $2.3 million towards capital improvements for new or existing Toronto Community Housing units and/or affordable housing over a 15-year period, as no affordable housing will be part of the new development.
The developer recently applied to the Committee of Adjustment for an increase in height of 17 per cent, or 5 storeys, but they were denied and have appealed to the Toronto Local Appeal Body (TLAB).
Units start at $1,253,000 for a bachelor suite, with the most expensive being a three-bedroom priced at $4,795,000. Building occupancy is scheduled for 2026.
Current site of 320 – 332 Bloor St. W.Rendering for 320-332 Bloor St. W.
320-332 Bloor St. W. This proposed, vast 37-storey building, designed by BDP Quadrangle and developed by First Capital, will sit at the northeast corner of Spadina Avenue. and Bloor Street W., directly east of the 334-350 Bloor St. W. development. Construction hasn’t started yet as the developers are currently waiting for consent to build an overhang facing 316 Bloor St. W.
An estimated completion date of 2026 for the building is listed on BDP Quadrangle’s website. Since the application has not yet been approved, that date seems highly ambitious. In addition, the city has sought to protect the historical architecture of the 3-storey commercial facade on Bloor Street stretching from the wine store to the Fresh restaurant.
The proposed building will contain 366 residential units which have not yet been designated as rental or condo units. The building will have retail space at grade, two publicly accessible spaces bookending the site, pedestrian access from Bloor Street W. to Paul Martel Park, and access to Spadina Station.
The building’s exterior will feature a distinct vertical terracotta pattern, intended to add depth and design to its facade.
Demolition has begun at 316 Bloor St. W.Rendering for 316 Bloor St. W.
316 Bloor St. W.In the fall of 2023 demolition of the former 3-storey office building was complete. In January the pile drivers were on-site in advance of excavation.
This development is located at the northwest corner of Bloor Street W. and Madison Ave. As a result of a successful application to the Committee of Adjustment (CofA) the height of the building will increase to 34 storeys (440 units) and there will be more commercial space on the ground floor.
The Annex Residents’ Association is urging city council to appeal this decision to the TLAB. In the new provincially mandated regime only city council can appeal a CofA decision.
At the time of writing, unit configuration, pricing, and completion dates were not available.
334-350 Bloor St. W. This proposed 35-storey condominium at the northwest corner of Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street W. has city-approved zoning but awaits site plan approval.
This construction would force out the 7-Eleven, Tim Hortons, and office spaces that exist on the lot currently. The developer is also waiting for TTC approval as it intends to link to the Spadina subway station below the development. There is also an agreement to house the Metro grocery store at the basement level as it will move from across the street (425 Bloor St. W).
The building would be mixed-use, containing 422 residential units, 8,200 square metres of non-residential floor space, and 3,716 square metres of office space.
An “Urban Living Room,” surrounded by kiosks, would be built on the ground floor, and public art by an Indigenous artist is proposed to be incorporated in the design.
Although construction was to begin in the spring of 2024 and last for 42 months, the developer is no longer providing a start date. The TTC’s original plans to extend the Spadina subway platform in 2040 may change to coincide with this construction which will be happening overhead.
425 Bloor St. W. is currently the home of Metro. Rendering for 425 Bloor St. W.
425 Bloor St. W.Currently the site of the Metro grocery store, the developer Bousfields has submitted an application to build a 30-storey condo tower on the site.
The Metro grocery store would vacate and move into a below grade site in the new development at the northwest corner of Bloor and Spadina.
The 418 residential units in the building would likely be condominium units, consisting of 79 studios, 229 single-bedroom units, 67 two-bedroom units, and 43 three-bedroom units. Over 1000 square metres of space on the ground and mezzanine floors would be used for retail.
The developer has plans to work with the Bloor Annex BIA, to not only enhance its parkette space on Robert Street, but to expand upon it.
Construction at 700 Spadina Ave. is almost complete.Rendering for 700 Spadina Ave.
700 Spadina Ave.The University of Toronto’s new 70-metre, 23-storey student residence is near completion.
The building will house 508 students and provide student amenity space, as well as retail space along Spadina Avenue. A small row of townhouses is also being built on the site facing the alley at the rear.
Notably, the university agreed to accommodate and restore the built form of the building on the corner of Spadina and Sussex which accommodated Ten Editions bookstore for many years.
Construction well underway at 666 Spadina Ave.Rendering for 666 Spadina Ave.
666 Spadina Ave. An 11-storey condo tower is being constructed just south of an existing rental building, an Uno Prii-designed modernist tower.
The new build is south of the existing structure and north of Harbord, about a city block and a half from Bloor Street.
The tower will include 119 units and eight four-storey townhouses on the west side along the alley. Though the build is well along, the developer has not posted an expected completion date or prices.
The developer, Cromwell Property Management Group, also operates the adjacent residential tower.
—With files from Mia Keskinen. Rendering courtesy of 666 Spadina Developments
The east portion of the site, where University of Toronto Schools is housed, has undergone a recent significant capital renewal and will remain protected in the re-development. COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MEDIA RELATIONS
371 Bloor St. W. UTS Block Site 1 v The University of Toronto’s Site 1: The Gateway project will be located at the southeast corner of Bloor Street W. and Spadina Avenue and will feature a mix of residential, academic, retail, and outdoor space.
Two towers are planned: 27 storeys for the Bloor Street frontage and 22 storeys for the Spadina Avenue frontage.
In total 700-800 residential units would be built in varying configurations.
Westbank, the developer of the ambitious Mirvish Village project at Bloor and Bathurst, has been selected by U of T to lead the project. University of Toronto Schools, presently on the site, would not be affected, according to the university.
No plans have been submitted for approval and no dates have been published.
Construction at 9-11 Madison began in 2022.Rendering of the completed Keskus International Estonian Centre.
9-11 Madison Ave. Construction on the KESKUS International Estonian Centre, began in April 2022.
KESKUS will be replacing the Toronto Estonian House, originally located near Danforth Avenue and Broadview Avenue as the centre of Estonian heritage, community, and culture in Toronto. KESKUS is also meant to encourage business relations between Canada and Estonia.
This development is rapidly moving through the difficult challenge of building over and around the TTC Line 2 subway tunnel. The current construction will rise above ground level by the end this spring. The courtyard contour mirrors that of the shape of the Estonian state. Facing the courtyard is a glass wall featuring 6.5-meter-high triple glass. These 21-foot-tall panes are being produced in Europe.
The interior of the building will feature a large event and performance space that will be made available to the public, as well as spaces for other Estonian services.
This project has a budget of $41 million and an estimated completion date of 2025.
