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A plot of Employment Lands in southwest Etobicoke is the subject of a dormant rezoning application that has sprung back to life in recent weeks. Antorista Investments first submitted a proposal for the site at 564-580 Evans Avenue back in 2014, which never received approval and made no progress for several years. Enlisting Giannone Petricone Associates as designers, they have now given their project another go with a slightly revised version submitted earlier this month, which proposes a new neighbourhood of two residential towers, a mid-rise seniors residence, townhouse blocks, and a new public park.
The site is a rather hostile one, bordered on its north and west edges by the messy spaghetti junction where the Gardiner, QEW, Highway 427, Brown's Line, Evans Avenue, Sherway Gate, and The Queensway all meet. Evans Avenue and The East Mall form the south and east boundaries respectively, and though the property is technically in close proximity to Sherway Gardens, a giant knot of highway traffic separates the two. Currently existing on the site are several low-rise commercial and industrial buildings housing an automotive centre, an RV dealership, and a linen warehouse, among other smaller businesses. The motel on the northwest corner of Evans and The East Mall is not included in this development and will remain as is.
The proposal includes two residential towers of 38 and 29 storeys located in the northwest corner of the site, comprising a total of 608 residential units. The towers sit atop a shared 3-storey podium, which contains a mix of townhouses, dwelling units, and amenity spaces. South of the two towers is a 9-storey seniors residence containing 119 units and associated amenity spaces. The building is oriented north-south, with the majority of units facing west toward the interchange and east toward the park.
To the east of the towers and seniors residence, a mix of freehold and stacked townhouses rising 3 or 4 storeys are arranged in 6 blocks, totalling 87 dwelling units. Two new public roads connect to The East Mall and Evans Avenue, while private roads service the remainder of the property. Finally, a new 4,130-square-metre (one acre) public park will be located at the south end of the property fronting onto Evans Avenue. The park will be bordered by the seniors residence on its western end, and new public streets lined with townhouses on its north and east ends.
Of note, the original submission from 2014 included a proposed 5-storey commercial building in the northeast corner of the lot, and a one-storey retail building in the southwest corner where the seniors residence currently stands. These components were omitted in the more recent submission, opting for more townhouse units instead. The land in the northeast corner, which would have housed the commercial building, is no longer included in the rezoning application.
We will keep you updated as 564-580 Evans works its way through the planning process, but in the meantime, you can join in the discussion by checking out the associated Forum thread or by leaving a comment in the space provided on this page.
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