South of the Gardiner Expressway, South Etobicoke has become one of Toronto's most active development hubs. While Etobicoke's tallest and most conspicuous projects are clustered near the waterfront along Lake Shore Boulevard, the formerly industrial area surrounding the Mimico GO station to the north is also now subject to an incredibly high volume of proposals, with the latest submission envisioning a multi-tower development at 23 Buckingham Street.

The site as it appears now, image by UT Forum contributor drum118

The project is one of several multi-building communities planned for the area. Last year, Freed's four-tower Grand Park Village introduced an unprecedented degree of proposed density to the area, with another two-tower proposal at 39 Newcastle—this time by Dunpar Homes—followed a few months later. On Royal York, Stanton Renaissance's 'On The GO Mimico Condos' is already under construction, with the 27-storey tower adding 242 units to the neighbourhood.

Major proposals and ongoing projects in the area image via Google Maps, overlay by Craig White

Located immediately west of Freed's Grange Park site, the recently submitted Buckingham Street project would add another three towers to the area. Reaching heights of 28, 26, and 24 storeys, the three towers rise from 8-storey podium structures, creating a mid-rise streetwall. In total, 933 residential units are planned.

The plan for the site, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Taking up the better part of a block—the southeast corner is part of the Grand Park Village site—the proposed development also includes a row of three-storey townhomes fronting Portland. On the other side of the largely unbroken 8-storey streetwalls on Buckingham and Audley streets, meanwhile, the L-shaped podium massing encircles two mid-block green spaces. 

So far, however, not much more is known about the development, which was tabled by a numbered company. With the project at a very early stage, the Official Plan Amendment (OPA) submission does not include architectural plans, with details of the design yet to be revealed. An urban design document prepared by Michael Spaziani Architect Inc. offers an early look at the design, however, with preliminary elevations offering a preview of the massing and articulation.  

A look at Block and Block 3 elevations, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Proposing a change to the Mimico-Judson Secondary Plan—which outlines a maximum height of 8 storeys for the site—the proposals envisions a drastically greater degree of density. Additionally, the Secondary Plan outlines that a new public park be created on the block, with the proposal calling for the park space—funded in part by the proposed development—to be located on the Freed Property at the southeast corner on the block.

We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the plans continue to take shape. In the meantime, check out our dataBase file for the project, and feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment in the space below this page, or by joining the ongoing conversation in our associated Forum threads. 

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