In a show of support, streetcar advocates dine out on King St.; Metrolinx looking for your ideas for naming light rail transit line stops; Doug Ford to run for leadership of Ontario PC Party; and more news

Metrolinx looking for your ideas for naming light rail transit line stops (Transit Toronto)

Chime in on the future of Yonge-Eglinton at upcoming town hall (Inside Toronto)

In a show of support, streetcar advocates dine out on King St. (Toronto Star)

Doug Ford to run for leadership of Ontario PC Party (Globe and Mail)

VIDEO: Time-based transfers becoming TTC reality (CTV News)

Expansion plans in works for Great Blue Heron Casino (Toronto Star)

Global news from our sister site, SkyriseCities.com:

Jewel Towers Becoming Instant Landmark in Australia's Gold Coast (Brisbane)

Splashy Public Art Installed as The Duke Arrives in Mount Pleasant (Vancouver)

2017 Citizen Satisfaction Survey Illustrates a Tale of Two Cities (Calgary)

Intensification Eyed for Hollyrood Property (Edmonton)

Developer Maniad is seeking to redevelop properties at 35 and 39 Holmes Avenue in the North York City Centre area of Toronto with a new condominium development. Currently occupied by a vacant lot at 35 and a single-family bungalow at 39 Holmes, the proposal—known simply as 35 Holmes—requires an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendment to permit an 18-storey condo tower reaching a height of 60.6 metres, or 199 feet.

Site of 35 Holmes, image via submission to City of Toronto

Designed by Icon Architects, the proposed building consists of a three-storey podium with a 15-storey tower volume above, marked by a contrasting treatment of black and white cladding with clear glass and red accents. The accents and glazing are predominantly located on the longer east and west facades, while the narrower north and south elevations are largely windowless.

East elevation, 35 Holmes, image via submission to City of Toronto

The proposal has a gross floor area (GFA) of 19,556 m², including 13,305 m² of residential GFA. The residential component includes a total of 154 condominium units, divided between 100 one-bedroom units (65%), and 54 units offering two or more bedrooms (35%).

North elevation, 35 Holmes, image via submission to City of Toronto

Residents would have access to 635 m² of amenity space divided between 308 m² indoors and 327 m² outdoors. The spaces include a 150 m² outdoor amenity at grade along the east elevation connecting with a 236 m² indoor amenity on the ground floor. An additional 176 m² outdoor terrace and 71 m² indoor amenity would be located on the 4th floor.

West elevation, 35 Holmes, image via submission to City of Toronto

The proposed building includes by a three-level underground garage with 153 parking spaces, 138 for residents and 15 for visitors. Parking for 116 bicycles is included, split between grade level and the garage.

South elevation, 35 Holmes, image via submission to City of Toronto

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.

Another year of strength in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Region real estate market is being put under the microscope in a hefty 80-page report issued by the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) today. Today's Market Year in Review & Outlook Report focuses on the twin issues of housing and transportation diversity in the region, including a detailed review of 2017 market conditions, a look forward to 2018, and comprehensive research on various aspects the housing industry here. 

Toronto skyline, image by Corey Brendan via Flickr

Economic spin-offs generated by home sales from 2014-2016 were approximately $7 billion, creating 142,000 jobs in the region. New housing construction is responsible for an annual economic impact of $27.2 billion, and roughly 150,000 jobs. This includes substantial tax revenues for all levels of government, with an estimated $2.9 billion in federal, provincial, and local taxes generated annually.

A statement from TREB President Tim Syrianos, issued along with the report, reads “On average, each residential transaction reported through TREB’s MLS® System in the GTA generates $68,275 in spin-off expenditures, according to recent analysis conducted by Altus Group. The real estate industry is a key contributor to our economy, with total annual spin-off expenditures close to $7 billion. From the economic impact of TREB MLS® System transactions, to government revenues associated with residential sales, to the impact of the new construction sector, this new Altus research included in this report highlights the depth to which transactions involving GTA REALTORS positively impact our economy.”

In-depth review of the 2017 housing market shows that annual residential sales declined 18% from the record-setting numbers recorded in 2016, falling to 92,394 transactions from 2016's 113,000. After a strong start to the year in Q1 2017, the introduction of the Ontario Fair Housing Plan (FHP) triggered a dip in the markets during Q2 and Q3. These numbers would recover in Q4 as the psychological impacts of the FHP began to wane, and the introduction of new Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) stress test guidelines approached.

Drilling deeper, a year-over-year average price growth of over 30% was recorded in Q1 2017, which TREB identifies as a factor that led to the FHP. The immediate aftermath of the FHP was a noticeable decline in sales and increase in listings, followed by a stabilization in price growth during the second half of the year. 2017's overall average selling price rose by 12.7 % annually to $822,681. While still a strong number, TREB reports that the annual rate of growth owes much to transactions that predate the introduction of the FHP.

The report then considers 2018, with forecasts for the already active year. TREB expects between 85 and 95,000 sales this year, anticipating a decline from the 2017 total. Due to the still strong figures recorded in 2017, year-over-year declines are expected to be more significant during Q1 2018, though as we move into spring and summer, sales are expected to be up on a year-over-year basis.

Polling conducted by Ipsos points towards a flatter sales trend this year, factoring in a dip in first-time buying intentions, the psychological impact of the Ontario Fair Housing Plan on potential buyers, and changes to mortgage lending guidelines. The latter seems to be a notable a barrier for purchasers, with 26% of respondents to the Ipsos poll worried that they won't qualify for a mortgage two percentage points higher than the current market rate.

Average selling prices in 2018 are forecast for between $800,000 and 850,000. As with sales numbers, year-over-year declines in the average selling price are expected in the first half of 2018 as a result of last year's unprecedented figures. Mid-single digit rates of annual price growth are expected to follow in the second half of the year.

Jason Mercer, TREB’s Director of Market Analysis states in the report “Fundamental demand drivers promoting housing demand will remain in place in 2018, including immigration-driven population growth, job creation, and low unemployment across a diversity of economic sectors. However, we must be cognizant of the fact that, in the short term, higher borrowing costs and the effects of federal and provincial policy decisions will act as a drag on demand for ownership housing.”

In addition to assessing past and future market conditions, the report presents questions of transportation and housing diversity in the region, including discussions on how to alleviate pressure on housing supply and how to better shape regional transit policy. This section of the report draws from studies conducted by the C.D. Howe Institute and the Toronto Region Board of Trade, as well as input from policymakers like Mayor John Tory. This area of the report includes segments on the New Homes and Commercial Market, and research on elusive “Missing Middle” housing from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA).

Sections in the report draw from a recent release by Altus Group, with plenty of compelling facts about land values, transactions, leasing statistics, the economic impact of the housing sector, and much more. We will return in the coming days with a follow-up presenting new details from Altus Group's report.

Midtown Toronto, centred at Yonge and Eglinton, area is one of the hottest development nodes in the city, as construction densifies the neighbourhood in advance of the new Crosstown LRT line's 2021 opening. Among the largest projects going up in the area, construction is well under way at the site of Tower Hill Development's 2221 Yonge Condos, a 56-storey condominium tower just south of Eglinton.

Facing northwest across the 2221 Yonge site, image by Forum contributor drum118

Designed by Pei Partnership Architects—operated by the sons of legendary architect I.M. Pei—working with local architects Quadrangle, the project has been active since 2015, when demolition began for the previous six-storey office building on site. It was demolished by the end of April 2016, paving the way for the start of shoring, which would wrap up later that spring. Excavation continued into late 2016 and on into 2017, with de-watering activity following. Most recently, a tower crane was installed in November, marking the start of forming for the tower's underground levels.

Facing west across the 2221 Yonge site, image by Forum contributor drum118

General contractor Toddglen Group of Companies is now working on the first of three garage floors, set to provide 212 vehicle parking stalls with the aid of parking stackers. A network of supporting columns have already been formed for the P3 level, while the concrete base of the tower's elevator core is now apparent at the centre of the pit.

Base of the elevator core at the 2221 Yonge site, image by Forum contributor drum118

Forming of the below-grade parking component will continue for the next several months before reaching grade on Yonge Street. By 2019, the tower will top out at a height just shy of 193 metres, becoming the second tallest building in the neighbourhood after the now-rising south tower of E Condos.

2221 Yonge Street, image courtesy of Tower Hill Development

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.

Continuing on our comprehensive tour of the city, this edition of our Growth To Watch For series heads north from our last South Etobicoke instalment to explore the rapidly growing Etobicoke Centre and Bloor West areas of Toronto. Crossing through neighbourhoods, along avenues, and an important growth centre, there is plenty to cover in this area of the city coming in all sizes, shapes, and scales. As we loop through Etobicoke Centre and then travel back eastward along Bloor towards the centre of town, we make our way through several popular areas, stopping in Kingsway, Bloor West Village, High Park, Junction Triangle, and Christie Pits, before ending at the edge of the Annex.

Below we have compiled a list of all developments about to be completed, all projects currently under construction, all proposals currently working their way through the planning process, and all ideas still in the early stages of design. 

Map of the Etobicoke Centre Bloor West boundary, image courtesy of Apple Maps

Beginning where we left off last time in the Stonegate area, we follow Prince Edward Drive north to its end in Lambton at Dundas Street. A block to the east is the first project on our list at 4125 Dundas West. Headed by Harrington Developments and designed by TACT Architecture, the 8-storey mid-rise is proposed on the banks of the Humber River and would add 120 units to the area. Recently having undergone a resubmission and minor revisions in 2017, the project is still working its way through the planning process.

Rendering of 4125 Dundas West, image courtesy of Harrington Developments.

Heading west on Dundas, we come back to the intersection of Dundas and Prince Edward, where Dunpar Homes is constructing an 8-storey mid-rise on the southeast corner at 571 Prince Edward. Undergoing minor revisions over the course of 2017, shovels are now in the ground and construction is underway on the below-grade levels. Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, the building will provide 115 new units to the neighbourhood, likely to finish construction in late 2018 or early 2019.

West elevation of 571 Prince Edward, image courtesy of Dunpar Homes.

Just across the street on the southwest corner of Dundas and Prince Edward, Dunpar Homes is proposing another mid-rise at 4195 Dundas Street West, looking to increase the density of the neighbourhood once again. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the 8-storey mixed-use proposal has 166 residential units perched above commercial and retail space on the first two levels. The development was submitted for rezoning in 2016 with no movement since, but plans may advance in 2018.

Rendering of 4195 Dundas West, image courtesy of Dunpar Homes

Across the street from 4195 Dundas West, demolition has begun on the site of Urban Capital and Northan Realty's Kingsway by the River development on the former Rona property. Designed by Wallman Architects, the development will see a 21-storey condo tower constructed to the north, an 8-storey condo building constructed on Dundas, and a series of stacked townhomes filling the remainder of the site. Located along the banks of the Humber River, the development will add 413 new residential units to the area along with grade-level retail. The tower and mid-rise components have been submitted to the City for Site Plan Approval, and with demolition proceeding, we should see shovels in the ground this year.

Rendering of Kingsway by the River, image courtesy of Urban Capital/Northam Realty

Continuing west, we turn north on Royal York Road and come to Humbertown Plaza, where First Capital is looking to redevelop the mall property to include residential, office, and public spaces while retaining and expanding the existing retail on site. Tridel will be developing the residential components, comprised of three buildings of 9, 10, and 21 storeys, and the proposal is designed by Kirkor Architects and LGA Architectural Partners. First proposed back in 2012, the project gained zoning approval from the City but has remained dormant since. Rumour has it that the redevelopment will remain dormant for some time yet, so don't expect any news on this in the near future.

Rendering of the Humbertown Redevelopment, image courtesy of Kirkor

Just north of Humbertown Plaza, The Elia Corporation is proposing a redevelopment of an existing low-rise residential site at 289-291 The Kingsway. Designed by Quadrangle, the project would see demolition of five existing low-rise rental buildings, while an existing 17-storey residential tower would be retained. In their place, five new residential buildings—four condos and one rental—would be constructed, ranging in height from 6 to 14 storeys and comprised of 615 condo units and 156 replacement rental units. First appearing in 2013, the rezoning application headed to the OMB in 2016, with a hearing scheduled for January 2017 after a redesign of the project failed to please the City and local residents. The OMB issued a decision in April, opting for a partial approval of the plan, giving the okay to the three 6-storey buildings, but ordering that the 12- and 14-storey buildings be reduced in height. The OMB-ordered redesign has not yet materialized, and it will need to be approved by the City and local residents once again before proceeding, so stay tuned for further updates as the issues surrounding this project are resolved.

Site plan for 289-291 The Kingsway proposal, image from City of Toronto Planning

Heading back south to Dundas and turning west, we go all the way to the infamous Six Points interchange, the 1960s-built series of ramps that form the intersection of Kipling Avenue, Bloor and Dundas streets. What was once a forward-thinking interchange in the 1960s, the Six Points' ramps have been stifling development of a real downtown for Etobicoke ever since. After more than 10 years of planning, construction has finally started on the realignment of the interchange that will remove all ramps and bridges, and bring all intersections down to grade, while providing greatly improved infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. After more than 10 years of planning, construction of the new Dundas alignment advanced significantly last year, with completion of everything here expected in 2020.

Map of the new street alignment at Six Points, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

The future southeast corner of Kipling Avenue and Bloor Street has been selected as the site of a new Etobicoke Civic Centre. Following a high-profile design competition last year, the team of Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects along with local firm Adamson Associates was selected as the successful proponents, whose proposal of a clump of peaked rectangular volumes of varying heights won over the jury's favour. The development will include municipal offices, gathering and civic function spaces, a YMCA community recreation centre, possibly a Toronto Public Library branch, a child care centre, and an outdoor civic plaza. The landmark complex is intended to establish a new identity for Etobicoke and anchor the future development of Etobicoke Centre as the borough's new downtown. City Council approved the design concept late last year, a financial study is now underway, and if that passes, construction is not expected to begin until 2022, so patience is needed for those closely following this exciting development.

Rendering of Etobicoke Civic Centre, image courtesy of the City of Toronto.

Continuing west along Dundas Street, we arrive at the site of Dundas & Aukland, a 40-storey rental tower developed by Main and Main and designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, located at the intersection of its namesake. The project will add 376 residential units to the high-rise neighbourhood, along with retail at grade. Shoring and excavation have begun, so look for the dig down to complete this year and the build up to begin. Construction is projected to wrap up in 2019 or 2020.

Rendering of Dundas and Aukland, image courtesy of Main and Main

Turning south on Aukland Road, a new integrated MiWay and GO Bus Terminal is coming to Kipling Station, looking to offer better connections between the different GTA transit systems, moving the current bus terminus from Islington Station. Overseen by Metrolinx, Kipling Station is envisioned as an expanded transit hub anchoring the west end of the city, with easier transfers between regional rail, rapid transit, and surface routes. An RFP was issued last year and the winning bidder will be announced this year, with the intention of opening the new terminal in 2019. MiWay and GO buses currently serving Islington station will move here then, allowing the redevelopment of that subway station site.

New plan for Kipling subway station, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

Just to the west of Kipling Station, Concert Properties is in the process of building out their master plan of The Kip District, a five-tower community that includes a future central square and amenity building. Construction of the IBI Group-designed Phase One condo tower is nearly complete on the exterior of the building, as crews move to the interior spaces of the 28-storey, 283-unit building. Work on Phase One will be complete this year, so expect the lights to go on as occupants move into the building later in 2018.

View of the Kip District phase one, image by Forum contributor Keyz.

As Phase One comes together, Phase Two of The Kip District is now going into sales, as the 24-storey, 285-unit condo tower designed by Quadrangle is clearing the final stages of the City's planning process. Also included with the Site Plan Approval submission was the 20-storey, 223-unit Phase Three, a rental tower to be constructed while Phase Two is underway. In addition to these two buildings, two further towers are planned for future phases to round out the five-tower community, along with a central square and amenity building. Details for these last phases have yet to be released.

Rendering of Phases Two and Three of the Kip District, image courtesy of Concert Properties.

Immediately west of The Kip District, Pinnacle International is redeveloping a string of strip malls along Dundas into a massive 9-tower development dubbed Pinnacle Etobicoke. The nine towers measure in at 56, 55, 52, 49, 48, 46, 39, 35, and 25 storeys and will add 4,091 residential units to the area, along with commercial office space, grade-level retail, and a new public park. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the first 25-storey phase of Pinnacle Etobicoke, dubbed Cypress, has been submitted for Site Plan Approval and has moved into sales, while the other towers are lined up and prepared for subsequent submissions to City Planning. Stay tuned for updates as plans for this massive development continue to evolve.

Rendering of Pinnacle Etobicoke, image courtesy of Pinnacle International.

Heading west on Dundas Street, north on Neilson Drive, and west on Bloor Street all the way to the Mississauga-Toronto border, we arrive at a proposal for the Renaissance Apartments at 420 Markland Drive. The project is a densification of a tower-in-the-park site, with an existing 10-storey rental apartment building currently on the property that will be retained. The new proposal would see a 9-storey condo building constructed to the east of the existing building, with a townhouse component fronting onto the residential Broadfield Drive to the south, while in the southwestern portion of the site, a 3-storey townhouse building will be constructed along Sunplains Drive. Designed by Chu Architects, the development would add 164 new condo units to the area, and is currently working its way through the planning process.

Rendering of 240 Markham Dr, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Turning back eastward on Bloor and heading north on the West Mall, we begin our tour of the Highway 427 corridor where several large projects are underway. First up is Tridel's West Village Etobicoke, where a Site Plan Approval applications was submitted last year for a third tower at the complex. With the first two towers completed a couple years ago, Phase Three would see a 28-storey tower designed by Kirkor Architects constructed on the northeast corner of the site. The new tower would add 213 condo units to the area, while a planned future fourth phase would add a final 16-storey tower to complete the community.

Rendering of Phase Three of West Village Etobicoke, image courtesy of Tridel.

Further north on The West Mall, at the intersection of Burnhamthorpe Road, the site of the current Etobicoke Civic Centre faces an uncertain future. Connected to the plans to construct a new landmark Civic Centre to the southeast, the City will need to sell the property the current civc centre is on to help fund the move. While nothing is currently proposed for the site, and construction of the new Civic Centre is quite a ways off, we thought we would include this site on our list for its future potential.

Continuing north, a tower-in-the-park infill building is proposed by Starlight Investments for 555 The West Mall, just south of Rathburn Road. Designed by Architecture Unfolded, the 22-storey rental apartment building will add 256 new units to the site, occupying a surface parking lot and some underused green space. Originally proposed at 24 storeys and 293 units, the Site Plan Approval application was resubmitted earlier this month with a scaled down proposal as design development continues.

Rendering of 555 The West Mall, image courtesy of Starlight Investments.

Moving just north of Rathburn, another tower-in-the-park infill development is proposed at 70 Dixfield Drive by H&R Developments. Designed by CGL Architects, the proposal would see 6-storey 58-unit rental mid-rise building constructed along with a 3-storey block of townhouses comprising 30 units. Several resubmissions of the design documents appeared over the course of last year for both its rezoning and site plan applications, so it appears that the owners are actively tweaking the design to gain the necessary approvals.

Rendering of 70 Dixfield, image courtesy of H&R Developments.

Heading a block south back to Rathburn Road, we turn east and cross over Highway 427 to The East Mall, where we turn south again to explore the east side of the 427 corridor. Beginning at the northwest corner of The East Mall and Burnhamthorpe Road, Haven Developments is replacing a 1960s-built medical centre with three blocks of stacked townhouses dubbed the East Mall Town Homes. Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, the townhouses will rise three-storeys and comprise a total of 60 units. The development is currently making its way through the planning process.

Rendering of the East Mall Town Homes, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Continuing south on The East Mall, Edilcan is proposing a second master-planned community adjacent to their One Valhalla complex that was completed last year. Valhalla Town Square is a five-building community that would see a total of 1,480 residential units in towers measuring 43, 37, 31, 10, and 10 storeys surrounding a central park space. Designed by IBI Group, the master plan was approved by City Council last year, and Phase One of the project is currently in sales. The first phase would see the two 10-storey rental mid-rises constructed along the east edge of the site, along with the 31-storey condo tower at the northwest corner of the property. The two taller towers will follow at a later date.

Rendering of the first phase of Valhalla Town Square, image courtesy of Edilcan.

Continuing south on The East Mall, we come to Bloor Street, where we turn east and begin our long journey back into the core of the city.

We follow Kipling through the Six Points, south over the rail corridor, and end up on Fieldway Road east of the interchange. There we come to where North Star Homes is constructing ConneXion, a complex of stacked 4-storey townhouses that will add 150 new units to the area. Designed by TACT Architecture, the project is currently under construction, with the concrete structure now having moved above grade. Look for construction to progress throughout 2018.

Rendering of ConneXion, image courtesy of North Star Homes.

Where Fieldway and Green Lanes meet Bloor, we come to 3429 Bloor West. Here, Verve Senior Living is looking to construct an 18-storey retirement and assisted living facility on the current site of the Beer Store. Designed by Giannone Petricone Associates, the building would contain 176 units and would add grade-level retail along Bloor. Initially submitted for rezoning last year, the project is now heading to the OMB, facing opposition from the local Councillor and the City owing to its size. Stay tuned for updates as the results of its hearing should be released later this year.

Rendering of 3429 Bloor West, image courtesy of Verve Senior Living.

Just northwest of the intersection of Bloor with Islington Avenue, Tridel is constructing a trio of condo towers on the north side of the rail corridor. Designed by Kirkor Architects, Phase One and Two of the complex, named Islington Terrace and Bloorvista respectively, are currently under construction, with Islington Terrace now peaking above grade and work progressing on the below-grade levels of Bloorvista. Once complete, Islington Terrace will rise 45 storeys and total 430 units, while Bloorvista will reach 35 storeys and comprise 392 units. Watch for this pair of towers to rise into the sky over the coming year.

View of Islington Terrace and Bloorvista under construction, image via Tridel's live webcam.

The third tower of Tridel's Bloor and Islington development, dubbed Bloor Promenade, is currently in sales and will look to complete this trio of buildings in the near future. Originally approved at 38 storeys, its permitted height was increased to 44 storeys last year, and it will now add more than 400 units to the area. If all goes well, construction should begin within the next year or two.

Rendering of Bloor Promenade, image courtesy of Tridel.

Continuing east along Bloor, ONE Properties is looking to replace a car wash on the southwest corner at Humbervale with an 8-storey residential building. 3005 Bloor West, designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, would house 80 condo units with retail integrated at grade level. Also included in the proposal is a single detached two-storey house just to the south, which adds one further residential unit to the total. The project was submitted for rezoning to the City just last year and is currently moving through the planning process.

Rendering of 3005 Bloor West, image courtesy of ONE Properties.

Two blocks east at the corner with Grenview Boulevard, a proposal was submitted to redevelop the Swiss Chalet and RBC branch sites at 2955-2961 Bloor West. Designed by Core Architects, the 6-storey 86-unit building was first submitted for rezoning back in 2015. No status update has appeared since a 2016 redesign of this development (picture below), although we may get news over the coming year.

Rendering of 2955-2961 Bloor West, image courtesy of Core Architects

Just down the street, another mid-rise is proposed for 2915 Bloor West, where Fieldgate Homes and Dorsay Development Corporation are planning an 8-storey building dubbed United Kingsway Condos. Replacing the single-storey Kingsway Medical Centre, the TACT Architecture-designed development would add 126 residential units to the Kingsway neighbourhood. The project is currently at the OMB, facing opposition from the local Councillor and residents for is height, with a hearing scheduled in early 2018.

Rendering for United Kingsway Condos, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Continuing east, we come to 4 The Kingsway at the intersection of Bloor and The Kingsway, where North Drive Investments is currently constructing an 8-storey mid-rise condo building. Designed by Richard Wengle Architect, the project will add 41 luxury condominium suites to the Old Mill area. As of late 2017, excavation was complete and the crane had been raised, so look for this building to rise out of the ground over the course of the year.

4 The Kingsway, image courtesy of North Drive Investments

Crossing over the Humber River, we enter the popular Bloor West Village area, where a redevelopment is proposed for the current site of the landmark Humber Cinema at 2452 Bloor West. Headed by Plaza and designed by Quadrangle, the building would rise 14 storeys and would bring 244 residential units and grade-level retail to the busy stretch of Bloor. The project is currently tangled up at the OMB, with a second pre-hearing scheduled for February 2018. 

2452 Bloor West, image courtesy of Plaza

Moving into the heart of Bloor West Village, Harrington Developments gained OMB approval for their proposal at 2265 Bloor West back in 2016, but an update late last year confirmed that the project has been put on hold for the time being. Designed by TACT Architecture, the building would rise 7 storeys and would add around 70 new condo units to the area. As the developer has reportedly stopped working on the Site Plan Approval submission, it is unknown when this project will kick back into gear.

2265 Bloor West, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Continuing east toward High Park, 2115 Bloor West was approved for rezoning by City Council late in 2016, with a Site Plan Approval application submitted in summer of last year. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and headed by Main and Main, the building would rise 7 storeys and contain 45 residential units with grade-level retail along Bloor. The project has been moving smoothly through the planning process, so development could advance in 2018, but possibly from another developer: Main and Main has sold off various up-zoned properties to the Trinity Group and Timbercreek Asset Management.

Rendering of 2117 Bloor West, image courtesy of Diamond Schmitt Architects

Directly across the street from 2115 Bloor West is the site of Picnic, The High Park II, the second phase of North Drive's The High Park development, whose first phase, located two blocks to the east, was completed last year. Designed by Quadrangle, the 8-storey 73-unit mid-rise condo building is currently under construction, with the concrete structure having reached grade late last year. Look for this development to top off in 2018.

Picnic, The High Park II, image courtesy of North Drive Investments

Stepping down in scale, a unique proposal is currently working its way through the planning process at 12 High Park Avenue, directly adjacent to the High Park subway station bus loop. Headed by property owner Orest Kelebay and designed by TACT Architecture, the 3-storey building would include a daycare fronting onto High Park Avenue, along with micro-retail units stretching along the south side of the bus platform that would animate the currently lacklustre waiting area. The proposal has been quite active over the past year, with a Site Plan Approval submission and a resubmission for rezoning, so if all goes well, a final decision from the City should be coming in 2018.

Rendering of 12 High Park Avenue, image courtesy of TACT Architecture.

Jumping scales once again, we come to the high-rise cluster of mid-century apartment blocks just to the north and east of High Park Station, where three development proposals are looking to add a total of 7 new high-rise towers and 2 mid-rise buildings to the area.

Beginning with the block between Quebec and High Park Avenues, High Park Bayview and GWL Realty Advisors are densifying their tower-in-the-park site with a pair of 25-storey towers designed by Zeidler Partnership Architects. The twin towers—one fronting on Quebec, the other on High Park—will each add 269 new condo units to the area, replacing existing low-rise townhouse units. Approved at the OMB, construction is progressing on the garage portions of the pair of towers simultaneously, so look for both to rise out of the ground over the coming year.

Rendering of Grenadier Square, image courtesy of High Park Bayview/GWL Realty

One block east between High Park and Pacific Avenues, the team of GWL Realty Advisors and Zeidler Partnership Architects is once again proposing more density for the tower-in-the-park neighbourhood with four new buildings at High Park Village. Three towers measuring 39, 34, and 29 storeys along with an 8-storey mid-rise would all be slotted into the open space in between the existing high-rise mid-century apartment blocks. Together, the four buildings would add a total of 1,031 new rental units to the neighbourhood with retail spaces integrated at grade level. Opposition from local residents has been fierce, as fears over the impact of too much new density between this and the two other adjacent high-rise developments has locals worried about the future quality of life in the area, and has them asking the developers to scale down the proposals. The High Park Village project is headed for a showdown at the OMB in 2018, so stay tuned for news and updates as they become available.

Rendering of High Park Village, image courtesy of GWL Realty Advisors.

Just to the east, the high-rise block between Pacific Avenue and Oakmount Road is subject to the third local high-density proposal at 111 Pacific Avenue. The Minto Group is looking to add two towers of 33 and 29 storeys; an 8-storey mid-rise podium attached to the 29-storey tower along Oakmount; and two blocks of 3-storey townhouses along the north edge of the site on Glenlake Avenue. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the group of new buildings would total 768 rental units and would add grade-level retail in the two towers. Much like its neighbours in High Park Village, this proposal is also heading to the OMB this year, facing concerns that the project is an over-development of the site. Stay tuned for news and updates as they become available.

Rendering of 111 Pacific Avenue, image courtesy of the Minto Group.

Detouring further north from Bloor, we head up High Park Avenue to Annette Street, where the redevelopment of a church property is in the works on the southwest corner of the intersection at 260 High Park Avenue. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the plan calls for a modern L-shaped 4-storey addition extending from the church and enclosing a central courtyard. The 77-unit project received approval from the City last year and is currently moving into sales, with construction of the sales centre now underway on Bloor near Glendonwynne.

Rendering of 260 High Park Avenue, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Turning east on Annette and south on Keele Street, a proposal for a 4-storey, 52-unit redevelopment of 200 Keele Street dubbed The Parkview is in the works adjacent to Lithuania Park. Designed by Ramonov Ramonov Architects, the building includes 15 rental replacement units for the townhouses currently on the site, with 37 new condo units added. The rezoning application has been appealed to the OMB, but in the meantime, a Site Plan Approval application has been submitted to the City. The project will continue working its way through the planning process over the course of the year.

Rendering of The Parkview, image courtesy of Romanov Romanov Architects.

Turning east on Glenlake Avenue and south on Dundas, construction is now underway at 2376 Dundas Street West, just north of Bloor Street. Located next to the Bloor GO and UPX station, the 24-storey 361-unit rental tower is being developed by Lormel Homes and designed by Richmond Architects, and also includes an 8-storey mid-rise as part of its podium to be built along Dundas. The proposal has been under SPA review since 2013, with another resubmission filed in December 2017, but in the meantime, shoring and excavation have commenced on site while the final details are being sorted out with the City. Expect construction to progress throughout 2018.

Rendering of 2376 Dundas West, image courtesy of Lormel Homes.

On the southeast corner of the busy Bloor and Dundas intersection, a major redevelopment of the current Loblaws property at 2280 Dundas West is in the works, as Choice Properties has been carrying out extensive community engagement to determine the right fit for the site. The initial concept includes a significant residential component, along with up to 200,000 square feet of office space, plenty of retail space, new park space, and connections to adjacent transit systems. Anticipated in the proposal is a redevelopment of the adjacent Bishop Marocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School currently fronting on Bloor, with the TCDSB involved in talks to potentially relocate the school on another part of the Choice property. Choice has enlisted Urban Strategies on the planning, Giannone Petricone Associates for the initial architectural work, and Public Work on the landscape design, and has also opened an Idea Centre and put together a website to gather public feedback. No application has been submitted yet, but look for one to materialize soon as the pre-application consultations continue.

Concept rendering of 2280 Dundas West, image courtesy of Choice Properties.

Continuing east along Bloor and passing under the rail corridor, the Barrett Architect-designed 1439 Bloor West is proposed for the vacant lot adjacent to the tracks. The Neudorfer Corporation development would rise 14 storeys and contain 182 rental units with retail incorporated at grade level. The development has apparently been approved, but there has been no movement on this in the last year, so for the proposal remains dormant for the time being.

1439 Bloor West, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Ducking north on Perth Avenue, an intriguing proposal was submitted to the City last year for i2 Stack, a 3-storey commercial and studio building located just north of the Perth Avenue Parkette. Led by Ontario Hardwood Products Ltd and designed by Williamson Williamson Architects, the building would contain a ground-level workshop, restaurant space, and lobby, with 9 workshop/studio units located on the upper floors. Unsurprisingly, the building heavily features wood cladding on the exterior, giving it a unique aesthetic within the mixed-use neighbourhood. The proposal is currently working its way through the planning process.

Model of i2 Stack, image courtesy of Ontario Hardwood Products.

Turning back south and crossing to the south side of Bloor Street, we come to a hub of development activity around the intersection of Perth Avenue and Sterling Road centred on the redevelopment of the Tower Automotive Building. Developers Castlepoint Numa and Greybrook Realty are building out a master plan for the former industrial area dubbed Lower JCT that will include a new home for the Museum of Contemporary Art, several residential buildings, commercial space, and a new public park. Two projects are currently under construction, detailed below, with two more in the planning process, and roughly five more future development blocks to come.

Master plan of Lower JCT, image courtesy of Castlepoint Numa and Greybrook Realty.

First up in Lower JCT, Block 1 is currently being developed as West TWNS, a 3-storey townhouse development designed by TACT Architecture containing 32 residential units. Construction is well underway on the proposal, with the wood frame structure now topped off at the third floor. Look for construction to wrap up later in 2018.

Rendering of West TWNS, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Next on the list in Lower JCT is Museum FLTS, a proposal for a 10-storey condo building in Block 3B that was controversially cancelled last year, much to the ire of its early purchasers. The building was designed by architectsAlliance and contained 150 units with retail at grade, and formed the north wall of a courtyard shared with the Tower Automotive Building and the proposed Draft BLDG. The developer claimed he abrupt cancellation of the project was due to their inability to obtain necessary approvals in a timely fashion from the City. We have included this building on our list with the expectation that a revised proposal will be put forth at some point for the development of this block, but for the time being, Museum FLTS is dead and gone.

Rendering of Museum FLTS, image courtesy of Castlepoint Numa/Greybrook Realty

The focal point of Lower JCT is the 1920-built heritage industrial Tower Automotive Building, located in Block 3C and now simply called the Auto BLDG, which will be the new home of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). The relocated museum, moving to a larger space than its previous Queen West locale, will be situated on the first five floors of the building, while the remainder of the 10-storey structure will be leased out as office space. Headed by architectsAlliance with ERA Architects, MOCA was initially aiming for a Fall 2017 opening, but construction delays have pushed the targeted completion date to May 2018. As construction continues, stay tuned for the exciting unveiling of the new MOCA and refurbished Auto BLDG in the spring.

The Auto BLDG under construction in October 2017, image by Forum contributor agoraflaneur.

The next piece of Lower JCT that is currently in the works is the Draft BLDG, located in Block 3A and forming the south wall of the courtyard with the Tower Automotive Building. The 4-storey building will house office and retail space, with light industrial uses on the ground floor serving as a manufacturing facility for the Indie Ale House, which will also open a new flagship location in the building. Also included is a new POPS in the courtyard bordered by the Draft BLDG, Auto BLDG, and future replacement for Museum FLTS. Designed by SvN Architects, the Draft BLDG is currently working its way through the planning process. 

Rendering of the Draft BLDG, image courtesy of Castlepoint Numa and Greybrook Realty.

The most recent proposal in Lower JCT was floated last year for a 15-storey condo building on Block 4B called West MRKT, located on the east side of Sterling Road across from the Auto BLDG. Little is known about this next phase, and no development applications have been submitted to the City. Rumour has it that the proposal was quickly withdrawn last year, but at this point it is unconfirmed what exactly is planned for this site at the moment, if anything at all. Stay tuned for any updates that are announced in the coming year.

Rendering of the top of West MRKT, image courtesy of Castlepoint Numa and Greybrook Realty.

Looping around to the east side of the Barrie GO corridor, we head south on Sterling Road, east on Dundas Street, north on Lansdowne Avenue, and west on Whytock Avenue, where we come to Aragon Properties' Enigma on the Park at 180 St. Helen's Avenue. Designed by Quadrangle, the 9-storey condo and office complex is currently under construction and will add 86 new residential units to the area. The building has nearly topped off, so look for cladding installation to begin and a possible completion date late in 2018.

View of Enigma on the Park under construction, image by Forum contributor 111.

Heading back to Bloor and turning north on Lansdowne Avenue, the vacant TTC-owned lands at 640 Lansdowne are slated for redevelopment in the near future. An announcement by Mayor John Tory and local Councillor Ana Bailao in 2017 revealed that the City plans to build affordable housing on the vacant lot. A round of community consultations were held in late 2016, but there has been no detailed news on what form this development will take. Hopefully there is some movement by the City in 2018 to kickstart the planning process for this badly-needed affordable housing.

Aerial view of the 640 Lansdowne property, image via Apple Maps.

Heading back south and turning east on Bloor, major plans are in the works for the southwest corner of Bloor and Dufferin, currently home to the Bloor Collegiate Institute and former Kent Senior Public School. Capital Developments and Metropia submitted a rezoning application last year to construct a 7-building redevelopment of the school site, adding new residential, commercial, community, and retail uses to the 2.94-hectare property. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Giannone Petricone Associates, the seven buildings measure 47, 44, 30, 25, 11, 11, and 6 storeys in height, and include the retention of the heritage facade of the former Kent School. Also included in the proposal is a new public park in the southwest corner of the site. Separate from this application, the TDSB is looking to redevelop the site of the Brockton High School adjacent to the Bloor-Dufferin property in the southwest corner, where it will build a new secondary school complete with a child care centre and spaces for community programming. Check back for updates as this major development works its way through the planning process.

Rendering of the Bloor & Dufferin redevelopment, image courtesy of Capital Developments and Metropia.

Continuing east along Bloor, big plans are in the works to renovate the former Paradise Cinema at 1006 Bloor West on the corner of Westmoreland Avenue. Real estate investor, winery founder, and philanthropist Moray Tawse is undertaking a complete rehabilitation of the Art Deco building, restoring the 225-seat theatre to its former glory. In reopening the cinema, Tawse envisions the building as a shared community space and cultural centre, available to organizations on a short-term lease or rental basis. In addition to the community functions, a new restaurant, cafe, and bar will also be installed in the building. Construction is now underway on the refurbishment, so look for significant progress to be made in 2018.

Construction underway on the Paradise Cinema at 1006 Bloor West, image by Forum contributor agoraflaneur.

Heading further east, we come to 918 Bloor West, where a proposal to construct a 5-storey residential building is working its way through the planning process. Designed by SG&M Architects, the building will contain 12 residential units with retail at grade. A Site Plan Approval application was submitted to the City last year, so stay tuned for updates in the coming year.

Rendering of 918 Bloor West, image courtesy of SG&M Architects

Just down the street, Old Stonehenge Development Corporation is redeveloping their property at 874 Bloor West, where a new 4-storey residential building is replacing the existing storefronts on the site. Designed  by Studio JCI, the building will contain 10 new residential units along with grade-level retail. Construction is well under way, with the building having now topped off. Look for construction to wrap up later this year.

874 Bloor West under construction in December 2017, image by Forum contributor ProjectEnd.

Further east, we arrive at one of the city's most anticipated, and definitely most bittersweet projects, with Westbank's Mirvish Village, the high-profile redevelopment of the former Honest Ed's property on the southwest corner of Bloor and Bathurst. Demolition of the existing building is nearly complete, with one of the Honest Ed's signs being salvaged and relocated to the Ed Mirvish Theatre on Victoria Street. The new proposal is designed by Vancouver-based Henriquez Partners Architects and would see construction of five new towers measuring 26, 25, 24, 19, and 13 storeys comprising roughly 806 new rental residential units. The historic houses along Markham Street will be restored and returned to their former uses, while new small-scale retail, public spaces, and a market are included in the redevelopment. An updated Site Plan Approval application was submitted to the City this past month, which will be unpacked in an upcoming UrbanToronto feature. In the meantime, as demolition wraps up, look for shoring and excavation to begin as construction gets underway in 2018.

Rendering of Mirvish Village, image courtesy of Westbank.

This concludes our tour of Etobicoke Centre and Bloor West. If you're having fun gorging on these, don't be disappointed: there's still plenty of Growth to Watch For stories on the way. For the next instalment, we head north and back west, exploring all development happening along Dupont, St. Clair West, and Eglinton West, and in the popular Junction neighbourhood. If you would like to learn more about a specific project, you can check out the project dataBase files, linked below. Want to join in the conversation? Feel free to drop a comment in the space provided below, or join the discussions in the associated Forum threads. 

Today's Photo of the Day takes us to Toronto's Yonge and Dundas intersection for a south-facing view of Yonge Street. Submitted by Forum contributor Lenser, this view shows the growing impact of MOD Developments' Massey Tower, a 60-storey condominium development by Hariri Pontarini Architects.

Massey Tower and Yonge Street, image by Forum contributor Lenser

Want to see your work featured as Photo of the Day? Head over to the City Photos & Videos section of the Forum, or submit your images to our Instagram or UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page. 

Museum of Contemporary Art plans housewarming party after ‘pretty intense’ relocation project; Road hockey game breaks out in heart of downtown Toronto; New bike-sharing systems are leaving the clutter of racks behind; and more news:

Museum of Contemporary Art plans housewarming party after ‘pretty intense’ relocation project (Globe and Mail)

Meanwhile in Canada: Road hockey game breaks out in heart of downtown Toronto (Metro News)

Davisville community looks for solutions to save Regent Theatre (Inside Toronto)

New bike-sharing systems are leaving the clutter of racks behind (Globe and Mail)

John Tory makes fun of Doug Ford’s basement campaign launch (Metro News)

Chaos ensues as TTC experiences slew of problems (Globe and Mail)

Civic Tech: For clues about Sidewalk Labs’ plans on Toronto’s healthcare, look to NYC (Torontoist)

Global news from our sister site, SkyriseCities.com:

Auberge Beach Residences & Spa Reaches Final Height (Fort Lauderdale)

The Governmental Roots of the Nexen Building (Calgary)

Oliver's St. Joachim Church Now a Municipal Historic Resource (Edmonton)

CPR Roundhouse Reflects Vancouver's Formative Years (Vancouver)

Tucked away one block east of the intersection of Yonge and Richmond streets in Downtown Toronto, Great Gulf's Yonge & Rich condominium development hasn't had quite as much attention from UrbanToronto photographers as projects directly on Yonge, though this may change once it has risen above grade later in the year. The 45-storey, architectsAlliance-designed development is in the process of having its massive underground garage formed, a lengthy and complex process that has been ongoing since late last summer.

Facing southeast across the Yonge & Rich site, image by Edward Skira

We last checked in on the project in mid-September, shortly after a tower crane was installed at the base of the excavated pit. Forming has progressed significantly since the initial concrete pours, and the project's seven-level underground parking garage is now well on its way back up to street level.

Yonge & Rich site progress from October to January, images by Forum contributor skycandy and Edward Skira

Bringing the site back up to grade will take a few months, as the changing layouts of the parking levels require plenty of one-off formwork in a process that isn't easily repeatable from floor to floor. Once construction rises above grade and the podium levels are fully formed, the repetitive layouts of the tower floors will allow the speed of work here to increase significantly.

Parking garage being formed at Yonge & Rich, image by Edward Skira

The completed condominium tower will bring a large boost in residential density to the area east of the Financial Core, with 669 new units. At a height of 154 metres and a relative lack of tall buildings to this side of the core, the tower will have a prominence in skyline views from the east and south.

Aerial renderings of Yonge & Rich, image courtesy of Great Gulf

We will keep you updated as construction continues, and the project begins to make its mark on the streetscape. In the meantime, further information is available via our database file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment in the space on this page, or join the ongoing conversation in our Forum, where regular photo updates are also posted.

On February 10th the Toronto City Planning will be hosting the Midtown in Focus Open House, a chance for the public to discuss plans the future of the area centred around Yonge and Eglinton. City staff will be presenting the updated proposed plan, outlining the vision for the future of the area. Workshops will be held throughout the day with focus on parks and public spaces, mobility, heritage, the location and scale of new development, community infrastructure and more.

Yonge-Eglinton skyline, image by Forum contributor DonValleyRainbow

The proposed Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan attempts to “combine many of the best qualities of Toronto”, with emphasis on complete communities, green and resilient spaces, connectivity and inclusivity. The plan’s vision is to highlight the assets that contribute to Midtown’s vibrancy and assist in attracting new residents, visitors and investors to the area. The City will take into consideration public feedback from the Open House to ensure the plan reflects priorities of Midtown's residents and stakeholders.

Three rounds of workshops will take place during the day, covering a broad range of topics from the proposed plan. Beginning at 10:30 AM, the first workshop will cover the proposed secondary plan and further discuss parks and public realm in the area. The second workshop at 11:45 AM will focus on community services, facilities and transportation. The third workshop will touch on all the above topics, running from 1:15 PM. Information stations and staff will be available throughout the day.

The Midtown in Focus Open House will be held in the cafeteria at the North Toronto Collegiate Institute, located at 17 Broadway Avenue on Saturday, February 10th. Doors at 9:30 AM. Workshops and discussions will continue through the day, concluding at 3:00PM. For more information about the Open House, please visit www.toronto.ca/planning/yongeeglinton.

The Rockport Group's Montgomery Square is the latest tower to top out in Midtown Toronto's bustling Yonge and Eglinton area. The 27-storey luxury rental tower designed by RAW reached its final 84-metre height at the corner of Yonge and Montgomery in late 2017. With forming complete, work is shifting towards envelope installation, plumbing, electrical, and the start of interior finishing.

Montgomery Square (R) viewed from the north on Yonge Street, image by Edward Skira

The latest photos of the project show that cladding has begun to enclose the lowest tower levels, hovering above the retained 1936-built Postal Station K. The main tower cladding here is a window wall system consisting of reflective glazing with un-tinted natural aluminum mullions and similarly toned spandrel panels.

Window wall cladding rising on Montgomery Square, image by Forum contributor drum118

Below the prominent overhang, and in the area separating the former postal station from the rest of the project, curtain wall glazing will seal off the interiors. Other parts of the exterior, including where there are currently gaps between cladding on the tower, will be clad in panels of limestone bonded to aluminum backing, to complement the limestone of the postal station, and tying the heritage base building to the otherwise glass-clad tower above.

Window wall cladding rising on Montgomery Square, image by Forum contributor drum118

West of the heritage base, brick serves as another transition, this time blending the context of the tower base with the established low-rise neighbourhood to the west towards Duplex Avenue. Much of the brick is now in place, while strips of blue weatherproof membrane mark the future location of more bonded limestone panels.

Facing southeast from Montgomery Avenue, image by Forum contributor drum118

As we wait for the project to complete, its retail component has been announced as a combined Terroni's restaurant and Cumbrae's butcher shop, to occupy a 20,000 ft², multi-storey space within the former postal station. This will include an outdoor terrace atop the heritage building, partially sheltered by the tower above.

Montgomery Square viewed from the south on Yonge, image by Edward Skira

We will keep you updated as construction continues, and more information becomes available. In the meantime, make sure to check out our database file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment on this page, or join the ongoing conversation in our associated Forum thread.

Construction on the Crosstown LRT is in full swing, and commuters in Midtown Toronto are having to deal with some pain now for future gain. Recent photos overlooking the site from above by UrbanToronto Forum contributors and staff members show both Yonge and Eglinton down to single lane traffic in each direction, and visible progress on the site of the expanded Eglinton Station.

Overlooking Eglinton Station site, photo by Forum member drum118

Pedestrian movement is also restricted with sidewalks and crosswalks narrowed, or completely closed off in some cases. Some UT Forum members have expressed concern for pedestrian safety, noting the south east side of the intersection was closed simply with large pylons. “There is simply not enough space for the pedestrian traffic here,” 'BjamesT' explains, sharing his thoughts on the congestion. 

Aerial view overlooking Yonge and Eglinton, photo by Edward Skira

In a photo by staff member Edward Skira, pedestrians and vehicles are shown crowded along Yonge street during an evening commute. Other Forum contributors have been sharing their long-term optimism, like 'Contra', noting “the area will be messy for a while but worth it in the long run”.

Aerial view overlooking Yonge and Eglinton, photo by Forum member drum118

With ground level construction set to be completed in 2020, the area will be a mess for a while. You can find more photos and discussion by visiting the Forum thread associated with this story. Has the LRT Crosstown Station affected your commute? Let us know by leaving a comment in the space provided below.

Today's Photo of the Day takes us to Victoria Street, south of King in Downtown Toronto, for a view of Concert Properties' 88 Scott Street development from Forum contributor M.R. Victor. Residents continue to populate the new 58-storey Page + Steele / IBI Group-designed condominium tower's 525 units, overlooking the St. Lawrence neighbourhood and Financial District.

88 Scott Street viewed from Victoria Street, image by Forum contributor M.R. Victor

Want to see your work featured as Photo of the Day? Head over to the City Photos & Videos section of the Forum, or submit your images to our Instagram or UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page. 

The controversy over Google's futuristic plans for Toronto; Toronto’s downtown relief subway line cannot be put off any longer; What’s on the agenda for January-February City Council meeting?; and more news: 

Scarborough councillor aims to rename Hupfield Park after Viola Desmond (Inside Toronto)

Tentative agreement reached to avert Oakville Transit strike (Metro News)

The controversy over Google's futuristic plans for Toronto (Toronto Star)

Toronto’s downtown relief subway line cannot be put off any longer (Globe and Mail)

Oakville city council votes on extra protections for Glen Abbey golf course (Toronto Star)

What’s on the agenda for January-February City Council meeting? (Torontoist)

Global news from our sister site, SkyriseCities.com:

Leigh & Orange Reveals Renderings of New Zhejiang World Trade Center (Hangzhou)

Renderings Reveal Massive Scope of Oakridge Centre Redevelopment (Vancouver)

Developer Solicits Feedback for 20-Storey Inglewood Tower (Calgary)

Council to Consider Easing Restrictions Around Highrise Development (Edmonton)

With another busy month of city-building, transportation, and real estate talk now behind us, we round up January 2018's hottest stories, projects, and Forum discussions.

Our Top Ten News Stories

1. Growth to Watch For 2018: Queen West, Roncy & Liberty Village

View over Ontario Place.

Our annual Growth to Watch For series returned in January, and our second instalment covering Queen West, Roncesvalles, and Liberty Village was the month's most popular article. In second place, news of a high-rise addition to an office building at 415 Yonge Street garnered plenty of interest.

2. 42-Storey Addition Proposed for Office Building at 415 Yonge

3. Lakefilling Marks First Step for Port Lands Transformation

4. Tower Community Proposed Near Scarborough City Centre

5. Growth To Watch For 2018: Entertainment District

6. Details Emerging for Sky-Scraping Expo City 5 in Vaughan

7. Final Crane Being Installed at CIBC Square Construction Site

8. Allied Submits Plan to Float Office Space Over Heritage Buildings

9. Condo, Retail Complex With New LCBO HQs Dubbed Sugar Wharf

10. EllisDon and Renzo Piano Team Selected for New Courthouse

Our Top Ten Database Files

1. 357 King West 

357 King West, image courtesy of Great Gulf

The latest high-rise development to hit the market in Toronto's Entertainment District, the database file for Great Gulf's 357 King West was our most viewed in January, beating out heavyweight projects like The One and CIBC Square.

2. The One 

3. CIBC Square

4. Pinnacle One Yonge

5. The Well

6. Commerce Court 3 

7. Theatre District Residence

8. Mirvish Village

9. 8-20 Widmer

10. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment

Our Top Ten Forum Threads 

1. CIBC Square

CIBC Square construction site, image by Forum contributor Michael62

Our most popular Forum thread from the month of January was that of CIBC Square. The first phase of the massive office tower complex had its third crane installed last month, and the start of forming has generated quite a bit of excitement. In second place, the thread for the Massey Tower remains popular as the 60-storey tower rises taller into skyline views.

2. Massey Tower 

3. Ten York Street Condos 

4. The One  

5. 1 Yorkville 

6. Wellesley on the Park

7. Commerce Court 3

8. Union Station Revitalization

9. Monde

10. Pinnacle One Yonge The Well

***

This week's Throwback Thursday shows almost four years of change in what has become one of Toronto's densest concentrations of new high-rise development. Back in May 2014, this metamorphosis was already evident in south-facing views from Bulwer Street, just north of Queen and west of Soho. Looking across the surface parking lot that long scarred the urban fabric of Queen West, the shot shows the active construction sites of (R-L) QRC West, Peter Street Condos, Tableau Condos, The Pinnacle on Adelaide, Picasso Condos, and Theatre Park.

Entertainment District skyline, May 2014, image by Forum contributor Soho

Returning to the same spot in January 2018 forces the viewer to peer through the construction hoarding of the soon-to-be three-storey, Sweeny &Co Architects-designed MEC Queen Street flagship location, which is just now reaching grade. All of the active projects from the 2014 view have since been completed, while newer additions like 87 Peter Street and The Bond have added even more height and density to the landscape, and the CN Tower has been effectively hidden (and that's not an easy thing to do).

Entertainment District skyline and MEC Queen Street, January 2018, image by Forum contributor Soho

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!

Plans are in the works to expand Toronto's Planet Traveler Hostel at 357 College Street, just west of Augusta. A submission for Site Plan Approval (SPA) to the City presents a five-storey, SUZITA+MORITA (SUMO Project)-designed addition, set to significantly expand the hostel's capacity while improving street-level conditions with new retail.

Planet Traveler Hostel addition, image via submission to City of Toronto

The 1,172.05 m² addition to the existing four-storey, 690.72 m² hostel would bring the building's total gross floor area (GFA) up to approximately 1,863 m². An additional 33 rooms would be built, with 184 new beds among them. This would bring the hostel's total up to 298 beds and a maximum capacity of 302 people.

Planet Traveler Hostel addition, image via submission to City of Toronto

Along with the expanded capacity, the addition is proposed to include a new ground floor lobby, a winter garden and ancillary café with access from College Street, a private kitchen, and a lounge area. New outdoor spaces would include a rear exterior patio garden at the basement level, as well as a 4th-floor lounge and green roof terrace.

Planet Traveler Hostel addition, image via submission to City of Toronto

Complementing the existing brick and stone-clad building, the addition would be finished in a mix of new brick, Corten steel, precast concrete, and metal panels. A number of energy efficiency measures would be implemented in an effort to offset heating and cooling costs. These green initiatives include triple-glazed windows, the use of radiant heating, solar panels, heat exchangers, geothermal energy, green roofs, and stormwater management systems.

Planet Traveler Hostel addition, image via submission to City of Toronto

Below, an image from Google Street View of the May 2015 conditions, showing Planet Traveler and the building to the east which will be replaced with the addition.

Looking southeast across College Street to Planet Traveler and surroundings, image from Google Street View

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.

A revised Site Plan Application has been submitted to the City of Toronto for the new LCBO Headquarters office tower to be known as 100 Queens Quay at Sugar Wharf. Menkes Developments celebrated the 25-storey tower’s official ground breaking on January 11th, inviting partners, the media, and city officials. Designed by B+H Architects, revisions to the project include changes to the setback along Cooper Street, extension to the office lobby and expansion of the 3rd floor podium.

Looking west to 100 Queens Quay, image via B+H Architects

Previous renderings show a 2-storey retail and commercial podium reaching a 3rd floor outdoor green space, with the 25-storey tower rising from the centre. Revised architectural drawings and renderings show an expansion of the 3rd floor office space with green roof above, now aligned along Queens Quay and Cooper Street. An adjacent 3rd floor terrace still remains along the north of the building. Expansion of the 3rd floor offices brought extension of the south side office lobby along Queens Quay to support the revision.

Looking north to podium of 100 Queens Quay, image via B+H Architects

The aim is to achieve LEED Platinum certification for the development, bringing 763,000 ft² of commercial space to the site when it opens in 2021. The LCBO is set to occupy approximately 200,000 ft² of office space, while a street level 25,000 ft² flagship LCBO retail store will replace the existing store currently occupying the west end of the redevelopment site. More redevelopment will follow on the north half of the site: known as the Sugar Wharf Condominiums, five architectsAlliance-designed residential condo towers will follow with retail at street level, a new public school, while a two-acre park will be created on the southwest quadrant of the site.

Looking south-west to 100 Queens Quay, image via B+H Architects

Additional information and several more new renderings can be found in the our project Database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.

GO RER (Regional Express Rail) is the biggest transit project underway in the Toronto region today, despite which it has mostly flown under the radar of local transit discussion. To that end, UrbanToronto sat down with new Metrolinx President and CEO Phil Verster to discuss the RER project, hoping to glean new details on both the technical and fare aspects envisioned for the project. 

Phil Verster, image courtesy of Metrolinx

GO RER will be a gigantic expansion of rapid transit throughout the GTA, with a gradual increase from 1,500 trains per week on GO Transit currently, to an envisioned 6,000 trains per week. This means something like 15-minute all-day service on most GO corridors. Verster describes a plan to shift from the current one-dimensional system to a three-dimensional system serving multiple types of trips.

Today, GO rail is almost exclusively a peak-period commuter service to downtown Toronto—87 to 89 percent of riders have Union as their origin or destination, Verster said. The second dimension, as he explains it, will use bi-directional frequent service throughout the day to enable “point-to-point commutes between any of the stations and cities on the GO corridor.” The third dimension is multi-modality, meaning that GO RER would be embedded within the broader regional transit network of subways, LRT, and buses, through ease of connections and a revamped fare structure.

According to Verster, the proposed system would still be somewhat different from German S-Bahn or French RER systems, but it would share most of their essential characteristics. GO RER lines would be more like a subway, rather than the limited commuter services they are today.

Metrolinx Draft 2041 Regional Transportation Plan: Existing and In Delivery Regional Rail and Rapid Transit Projects. Source: Metrolinx.

At the heart of the GO RER network is Union Station. This is also its most significant choke point. At UrbanToronto, I have previously written about the issues with Union Station—in particular, the narrow platforms and access stairs—which result in serious congestion issues and limited capacity. “For us at Union, the bottleneck is not technically in moving trains,” Verster said. “The bottleneck is really the narrowness of platforms and the pedestrian flows off trains onto concourses and out of the station.” Union Station has nine access tracks from the west, and room for nine tracks from the east—more track capacity than all of the Paris RER lines combined (they move more than 13 times as many people as GO). Modernizing Union would provide all the capacity that could foreseeably be required, without the need for major new infrastructure.

Crowded Union Station Platform, image by UT Forum contributor TOareafan

Though additional stairs have been added with the completion of the York concourse, most platforms remain in their 1927 configuration, even including platforms that were originally designed for loading mail. For modern international stations, a platform width of 10 metres is generally considered to be standard; at Union, most platforms are five metres or even less. Verster argued that rebuilding the station to have wider platforms, combined with wider stairs and a wider walkway along the platform past the stairwells, will bring considerable safety as well as efficiency improvements. Additionally, he discussed plans to raise platforms to be level with the train doors, citing a statistic that level boarding results in a 90 percent decrease in boarding-related safety incidents. Level platforms also dramatically speed loading and unloading along the whole line. With level boarding, “you have much more operation flexibility and much speedier dwell times at stations. When you reduce dwell time, you speed up the whole journey. And 30 seconds at a station and ten station stops means five minutes on a journey, which is worth gold.”

These new approaches will first be tried on a new southern platform at Union, which will be followed by gradual widening and improvement of all the other platforms at the station between now and 2025. 

Modern Regional Rail Platform at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, image by Martin Falbisoner

The other key constraint at Union is the complexity of train movements through the station. Rather than each route operating on dedicated, direct tracks through the station (like the subway), most trains move across several tracks, sometimes blocking other trains from entering or leaving the station. They must crawl at a snail’s pace through the many switches, which further reduces capacity. Most trains, the Lakeshore route aside, also terminate and turn around at Union. The time required to carry out the safety procedures to turn a train forces long waits, all the while taking up track space on the most valuable real estate in the city. In response to this, Verster described “working out our train plan to be such that we can pair services coming from the west of Union with services that go to the east, so that by pairing the services appropriately relative to the service intensity and the service plan, we can have a minimized number of crossing moves.” As an example, “if we have services from the Barrie corridor not crossing over all the way to Lakeshore East,” he said, “then we don’t have an X formation of services ... from the Lakeshore West corridor that may be going up on the Stouffville or Richmond Hill line.”

In effect, GO RER would mimic overseas regional rail systems, with trains running from one side of the region to the other through downtown along dedicated track paths, which Verster says would “greatly add to our capacity through the corridor.” This problem, and possible solutions, was discussed in greater detail in an earlier article.

It is frankly exciting to hear a Metrolinx head talking in detail about finally developing clear plans to resolve these longstanding obstacles that stand in the way of real regional rail service.

Verster described Metrolinx and Mayor Tory’s aspiration as being “fare equivalency” for point-to-point trips between transit modes. In other words, a subway ride from Vaughan to downtown would cost the same as a similar ride on the GO Barrie line. However, when asked about a rider transferring from a TTC bus to RER at Weston to go downtown, Verster suggested that they would still pay the $1.50 co-fare that was recently implemented. Though the equivalency proposal is a positive step, such a system ignores what makes transit successful in the suburban 416: close integration between bus and subway. At most suburban subway stations, the vast majority of riders arrive by bus rather than walking in. That means that immediate density around stations is relatively unimportant as long as they have good bus connections. For example, York Mills is one of the subway’s busier stations, even though it is surrounded by estate homes and a golf course, because it connects to two busy bus routes. Key to making this system work, however, is a common fare. If riders had to pay an extra $1.50 every time they transferred from the subway to the bus, TTC ridership in the suburbs would be far lower than it is today. If GO RER is to be a real part of the city’s rapid transit system, as Verster clearly aspires, governments must make the operating funding available to enable a free transfer from a TTC bus to RER, just as it is from TTC bus to subway.

Verster explained that GO RER will be developed as a public-private design-build-finance-operate-maintain partnership, rather than Metrolinx developing the expertise in-house. The private partner consortium that will be building and operating the RER system will make many of the key decisions, particularly on technology and the trains themselves. “We are turning to the market and we’re being very flexible in terms of what the market can offer us on RER,” he said, “to build a network, to build a fleet, and to build a service formula that require our timetable commitments.”

One of the key questions for RER is the trains themselves. Today, GO operates an exclusive fleet of diesel-locomotive-hauled bilevel cars. Most international regional rail operations use electric multiple units (EMUs), owing to their rapid acceleration and braking, which shortens journeys and enables trains to run more closely together. Verster explained that EMUs also offer far more flexibility in terms of shortening trains to match capacity to demand in off-peak periods. There are significant performance differences between EMUs and the current bilevel trains, even if the latter are hauled by electric locomotives. Mixing trains that have different performance adds complexity to signalling and infrastructure planning. Infrastructure designed for vehicles with limited performance (freight trains are also a problem in this regard) is considerably more expensive than infrastructure designed exclusively for high-performance EMUs. However, as Verster explained, it would likely be cost-prohibitive to entirely replace GO’s enormous fleet of 1,000 bilevel cars. He did leave open the possibility of a different approach, since the final decision on the fleet composition will be in the hands of Metrolinx’s private partner.

There remain some other significant questions that the private consortium will need to answer. The bilevels have much lower door levels than standard international regional rail trains. Now that platforms are being raised to match the bilevel floors, will GO RER use unique, custom EMUs to match these floor levels? Will some of the platforms be further raised when they arrive? Or will non-level boarding be accepted on the EMUs, at least temporarily? How will the signalling and infrastructure be built to handle very different types of trains without unduly reducing capacity or adding to construction cost? Will a modern international-standard signalling system, like ERTMS, be acquired, given that traditional North American mainline signalling systems are not particularly well-adapted for rapid transit operation? Most important, however, is a question that can only be answered by governments: can a fare structure be developed so that transferring from bus to RER is as simple and costless as transferring from TTC bus to subway is today, so that the RER can truly become a rapid transit backbone for the region? 

GO RER has transformative potential for the region. The refinement of plans that has been occurring, particularly since the arrival of Phil Verster, is a welcome sign that progress is being made in delivering a complex project that is unprecedented in North America. UrbanToronto will keep you updated as further details emerge.

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Jonathan English (@EnglishRail) is a PhD Candidate in Urban Transportation Planning at Columbia University in New York. He lives in Toronto. His blog is Transit Futures.

Today's Photo of the Day features a view of Downtown Toronto's growing density. Submitted by Forum contributor Rascacielo, this southwest-facing skyline view shows under-construction projects like the Massey Tower and Alter adding to the cityscape.

Toronto skyline, image by Forum contributor Rascacielo

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