UrbanToronto

From the Air: Waterloo Rentals Rise as Office Conversion Progresses

Anthony Teles — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:03:16 -0400

Our aerial tour of construction across Kitchener and Waterloo continues, following our first Kitchener story, with more drone photographs by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ZEBuilder, documenting progress across projects rising west of Toronto. This second instalment visits three Waterloo sites.

Hickory Terraces rises beneath two yellow luffing-jib cranes installed earlier this year. Three storeys have been formed on the east side, with precast wall erection advancing into the fourth floor. The precast construction incorporates light and dark exterior panels, with window openings awaiting glazing and exposed columns supporting the lower levels. To the west, at the right of the image, the broad concrete platform serves as a staging area for materials, equipment, and formwork where the third tower will rise, alongside the ION rail corridor.

Looking southeast at Hickory Terraces’ rising precast structures beneath two tower cranes, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ZEBuilder

Developed by Hickory Terraces Limited, the project will bring 423 rental apartments across three 12-storey towers to 535 Quiet Place, west of Albert Street in Waterloo’s Sunnydale neighbourhood. The towers will rise from a connected podium, with white, beige, and dark grey cladding dividing the facades into sections.

Looking northwest to Hickory Terraces, by Hickory Terraces Limited

Allen Square is an office-to-residential conversion which is continuing beneath a three-storey rooftop addition. Green weatherproofing covers much of the existing building’s exterior and the first level of the addition, with window openings awaiting glazing. Above, exposed steel columns and beams outline the new upper floors, with floor and roof decking installed across portions of the frame. The seven-storey structure below is being adapted for residential use, while cladding installation has begun along the King Street frontage. A crane rises beside the north elevation.

Looking southwest at Allen Square’s residential conversion and steel-framed rooftop addition, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ZEBuilder

Designed by John MacDonald Architect for AXIA Geocapital, Allen Square will bring 129 rental apartments and ground-floor retail to 180 King Street South, at its northeast corner with Allen Street East in Uptown Waterloo. The conversion and addition will increase the building to 10 storeys and 40.9m. The site will feature a unified exterior of light grey cladding and bronze-toned vertical accents.

Looking northeast to Allen Square, designed by John MacDonald Architect for AXIA Geocapital

Enclosure work is advancing on the University of Waterloo’s new undergraduate residence following crane removal in May, 2026. Brickwork covers much of the right-hand portion of the elevation, while blue weatherproofing remains exposed across the left side and in strips through the centre. Glazing is installed in portions of the narrow window bays, with plywood and temporary coverings closing other openings. Two mast-climbing work platforms provide access for masonry installation, while white cladding wraps the ground floor around unfinished entrances. Exposed steel framing outlines the rooftop mechanical enclosure, and work remains on the planned pedestrian connection to Claudette Millar Hall on the right.

Looking south at brickwork installation on the University of Waterloo’s new undergraduate residence, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ZEBuilder

Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and Two Row Architect, the 12-storey, 43.2m undergraduate residence at 155 University Avenue West will provide 510 student accommodation units near Seagram Drive on the university campus.

Looking south to the UWaterloo Undergraduate Residence, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and Two Row Architect for University of Waterloo

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversations in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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UrbanToronto's research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe—from proposal through to completion. Other services include Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.

Scarborough Busway Prepares for September 30 Opening

Nolan Xuereb — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:36:00 -0400

The TTC announced in August that the long-awaited Scarborough Busway will open for service on September 30th. The bus-only roadway replaces the former Scarborough Rapid Transit (RT) Line 3, a number that will now be reused by the Ontario Line when it opens some years from now. The RT was deemed too dangerous to continue operating in 2023 following a derailment linked to years of deferred maintenance. The busway will reuse much of the RT's former alignment, with new roadway replacing the track.

Looking along nearly complete Scarborough Busway from Tara Avenue, August 24, 2026, image courtesy of UrbanToronto contributor tallcoleman

Set to run just under four kilometres north from Kennedy Station, the eastern terminus of both Line 2 and Line 5, buses will operate off-street along the former RT alignment until they reach Ellesmere Road. From there, they will turn onto Ellesmere Road and run in dedicated bus lanes to reach the busway's northern terminus at Scarborough Centre.

A diagram displaying the TTC's former Line 3 rail service, the intermediary on-street bus replacement, and the soon to open busway, image courtesy of the TTC

The new busway does not make use of the elevated guideway that the Scarborough RT formerly travelled along between Midland and McCowan stations. The TTC decided it would not be feasible or worthwhile to repurpose the elevated structure for bus service; as a result, riders will experience slower trips as buses navigate multiple signalized intersections heading to and from the dedicated busway's northern entrance/exit. It remains unclear at this point what will happen to the two-kilometre elevated guideway, which runs both behind industrial properties north of Ellesmere Road, and through the heart of the Scarborough Centre area.

Looking towards the Scarborough RT's elevated guideway in Scarborough Town Centre, 2023, image courtesy of Metroscapes

With the decision to abandon the RT’s east-west guideway, including its overpasses across major roadways and a branch of Highland Creek, converting the former north-south portion of the route into an at-grade busway appeared relatively straightforward. Crews needed only to remove four kilometres of track and pave over the ballast, then construct new bus platforms just outside of the old RT stations to accommodate the buses' lower boarding level at Lawrence and Ellesmere. In addition, a new stop was added at Tara Avenue, midway between Eglinton and Lawrence.

A diagram of the new bus platforms location at Lawrence Avenue East, image courtesy of the TTCA diagram of the new bus platforms location at Ellesmere Road, image courtesy of the TTC

The former station buildings at Ellesmere and Lawrence East are closed to public access following their decommissioning from transit service, and are currently being used to store construction materials.

The now shuttered bus platform and concourse building of Lawrence East station, not to be used as part of busway service, September 7, 2026, image courtesy of UrbanToronto forum contributor H4F33Z

Because Eglinton, Lawrence, and Ellesmere all bridge over this dedicated alignment, which runs directly alongside GO Transit's Stouffville line with no other cross-streets, buses along this stretch operate completely free from city traffic.

Looking south as a construction crew works on the new bus platforms at Lawrence Avenue, June 30, 2026, image courtesy of UrbanToronto contributor Mind_the_gap

Even so, when the busway opens on September 30, 2026, over three years will have passed since service on the Scarborough RT ended on July 24, 2023. TTC CEO Mandeep Lali noted that this opening date is six months ahead of the initial projected completion in early 2027. However, the TTC has provided no details regarding the roadblocks that caused a project consisting almost entirely of tearing up track and laying asphalt to take over three years. For context, constructing the initial 7.4 kilometres and 12 stations of Yonge Line 1 under downtown Toronto in the early 1950s took just four and a half years.

Looking along the Scarborough busway under construction, July 5, 2026, image courtesy of UrbanToronto contributor turbanplanner

As work on the busway nears completion, observers noted that most of the route is signed at 60 km/h. This comes despite much of the corridor featuring a generous 8.4-metre right-of-way, giving those sections significantly wider lanes than standard Toronto arterials and even exceeding Ontario Ministry of Transportation guidelines for 400-series expressways. By comparison, Ottawa’s busways—even those with narrower lanes—regularly see travel speeds between 70 and 90 km/h.

Looking north along the busway from the Tara Avenue footbridge as final lane markings are applied, with a 60 km/h speed limit sign visible in the foreground, September 2, 2026, Image courtesy of UrbanToronto forum contributor urbanclient

Within station approaches and exits, posted limits drop even lower to 30 km/h, with observers of test runs noting these slow zones seem to extend approximately 100 metres from either end of the platforms. While reduced speeds make sense through tighter legacy RT structures, a 200-metre 30 km/h zone around stations on a fully grade-separated transitway has little precedent among comparable domestic or international busways. If strictly enforced across all four stations on the busway, riders could spend up to 700 metres of the under-4-kilometre off-street segment travelling at just 30 km/h.

Looking south to the newly laid pavement through Lawrence East station's former platform level, September 7, 2026, image courtesy of UrbanToronto forum contributor H4f33Z

The opening of the Scarborough Busway should significantly reduce travel times for thousands of daily commuters. Trips along the interim, on-street transit priority lanes on Kennedy Road and Midland Avenue can currently take up to 25 minutes each way. In its announcement, the TTC stated that a trip from Kennedy Station to Scarborough Centre will take just 15 minutes via the busway. While a marked improvement, this still represents a 50% increase in travel time compared to the Scarborough RT, which completed the same journey in 10 minutes. In some years time, all of this will be accomplished more quickly again once the Scarborough Subway Extension of Danforth Line 2 opens from the current terminus at Kennedy station to new terminus at Sheppard Avenue East and McCowan Road, with intermediate stations at Lawrence Avenue East and Scarborough City Centre.

TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali at the press conference announcing the busway's opening date, surrounded by Mayor Olivia Chow, TTC Chair Jamaal Myers and other public representatives, August 20, 2026, image courtesy of Councillor Michael Thompson's Instagram account

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on the Scarborough Busway and the Scarborough Subway Extension set to subsume its role, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversations in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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Three Towers up to 30 Storeys Proposed on Ajax Employment Lands

Anthony Teles — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:52:25 -0400

Three towers rising 28 to 30 storeys are proposed for vacant employment lands at 10 through 30 Blowers Crescent in Ajax’s Carruthers Creek Business Area. Designed by Options Architects for Star Night Import & Export, the development would deliver hundreds of residential suites along with a substantial commercial component. Applications seek to convert the site to mixed-use permissions, with housing tenure, the final unit mix, and other details still to be determined.

Looking southeast to 10-30 Blowers Crescent, designed by Options Architects for Star Night Import & Export

The site comprises 10, 20, and 30 Blowers Crescent, an approximately 1.65-hectare assembly at the northwest corner of Salem Road and Blowers Crescent’s southern intersection. The property sits within a largely commercial and industrial greenfield (post-agricultural) zone. Environmentally protected wetlands border the site to the west, with industrial properties to the east and more industrial plus retail plazas situated closer to Kingston Road to the south.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to Town of Ajax

The Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment applications seek to replace the site’s Prestige Employment and General Employment designations with a site-specific Mixed Commercial Corridor designation, and rezone the lands to Local Commercial with site-specific exceptions. A subsequent Site Plan Application would address the detailed layout, access, servicing, and landscaping.

The proposal arranges three residential buildings above a shared four-storey commercial podium: a southeast building rising 28 storeys and 90.9m with 241 homes, and northeast and west buildings each reaching 30 storeys and 96.8m with 248 homes apiece. The 737-unit total would comprise 491 one-bedroom and 246 two-bedroom suites in the current plans, with the final mix remaining flexible. Of the 75,191m² Gross Floor Area, 56,295m² would be residential and 18,896m² commercial, yielding a Floor Space Index of 4.55 times coverage of the lot. Housing tenure and any affordable housing component remain undetermined.

Site plan, designed by Options Architects for Star Night Import & Export

All tower floor-plates would measure less than 800m², with 42.31m separating the southeast and northeast buildings and 37.83m between the southeast and west buildings. Each building would have three elevators, providing approximately one per 80 suites in the shorter building and one per 83 in the taller pair.

Ground floor plan, designed by Options Architects for Star Night Import & Export

Framing Salem Road and Blowers Crescent, the podium would contain 26 commercial units, along with interior courtyards. Residents would share 2,838m² of indoor and 2,264m² of outdoor amenities.

Looking northwest to 10-30 Blowers Crescent, designed by Options Architects for Star Night Import & Export

The concept plans provide 1,138 vehicle parking spaces, divided into 737 residential and 401 retail spaces across two underground garage levels, three above-grade garage levels within the podium, and some surface parking. Commercial frontages would screen the internal garages. The application’s planning rationale also outlines a lower zoning request of 664 spaces: 553 residential spaces and 111 shared visitor and commercial spaces. Short- and long-term bicycle parking would also be included, with quantities and their breakdown not noted at this time.

Surface transit includes DRT Route 920 on Salem Road, nearby Route 224 connecting to Ajax GO station about 3.5km away, and east–west PULSE routes 900 and 916 along Kingston and Rossland roads, respectively. Cyclists have access to dedicated lanes on Kingston Road East and the Carruthers Creek Trail, approximately 600m southeast of the site. Looking ahead, the planned Durham–Scarborough Bus Rapid Transit corridor would introduce dedicated bus lanes along Kingston Road, roughly one kilometre south, linking Downtown Oshawa with Scarborough Centre.

Transit map, image from submission to Town of Ajax

The proposal joins a cluster of planned developments along Salem Road. To the north, Ajax Country Inn & Suites is proposed at six storeys, while 60 Blowers Crescent would introduce two 30-storey towers. South of the site, proposals include the six-storey SK Industrial Park and seven-storey Dymon Storage Salem, alongside the Salem & Kerrison masterplanned community’s 12 buildings ranging from six to 25 storeys, and a 36-storey tower proposed at 400 Salem Road North.

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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News Roundup for September 14, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0400

A Toronto French theatre company needed a permanent home, and they found one under 400 tenants; a look at TIFF movies and moments in photos; Prime Minister Carney to kick off first investment summit in Toronto; and other news.

A Toronto French theatre company needed a permanent home. They found one under 400 tenants (The Star)

IN PHOTOS | TIFF movies and moments (CBC)

Prime Minister Carney to kick off first investment summit in Toronto (CityNews)

They lost their savings in an alleged real estate scam. Now, some unexpected relief (CBC)

Why Toronto’s film and theatre insiders flock to this historic, family-run downtown hardware store (The Star)

Statistics Canada to report inflation figures for August this morning (CityNews)

Geary Galleria

Craig White — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

The low-rise buildings of Toronto's (semi-post-)industrial-chic restaurant row, aka Geary Avenue, seem to form the podium for Galleria III, a new condo tower actually a couple hundred metres to the southwest.

Galleria III rises behind the restaurants and other buildings of Geary Avenue, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor AlbertC

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor AlbertC. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

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West Square Opens With 217 Affordable Rental Homes in Etobicoke

Anthony Teles — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:07:50 -0400

On September 10, 217 affordable rental homes were officially opened at West Square Phase 1 in Etobicoke’s Eatonville-Bloorlea neighbourhood. Representatives from the City of Toronto, the federal government, and KingSett Capital gathered at 15 and 25 Gibbs Road to celebrate the milestone for the developer’s mixed-use rental community, formerly known as Valhalla Village, at The East Mall and Bloor Street West. Construction on Phase 2 is underway immediately to the west.

Attendees at the ribbon cutting ceremony, image via https://twitter.com/Yvan_Baker

Designed by BDP Quadrangle, the completed first phase buildings rise 11 and 30 storeys (42.5m and 98.3m) at the intersection’s northwest corner, bringing 494 rental homes alongside retail and community space. Of the suites, 217 are designated affordable, while 277 are offered at market-rate.

Looking northeast to Phase 1 and construction on Phase 2, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Tim MacDonald

The affordable rentals range from studios to three-bedroom homes, with affordability secured for at least 40 years for households with low and moderate incomes. To support their delivery, the City is providing approximately $11.9 million in Phase 1 incentives through its Rental Housing Supply Program, including exemptions from development-related fees and charges and property taxes. Federal support includes a $235.9 million low-interest loan.

Looking northwest to West Square Phase 1, designed by BDP Quadrangle for KingSett Capital

Beyond housing, the broader redevelopment includes a public park, shared indoor amenities, and space for future community organizations, with transit nearby. The City’s Rental Housing Supply Program supports the project as part of its HousingTO 2020–2030 Action Plan. The City counts West Square among 50 affordable housing projects under construction across Toronto, together expected to deliver more than 14,000 homes, including over 4,200 affordable rentals.

Construction began in July, 2026 on West Square’s second phase, designed by Zeidler Architecture. Its 21- and 38-storey buildings (71.56m and 123m) will add 641 rental homes, comprising 511 market-rate and 130 affordable units. Once both phases are complete, the community will provide 1,135 homes, with 347 affordable rentals alongside 788 market-rate units.

Looking northeast to West Square Phase 2, designed by Zeidler Architecture for KingSett Capital

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CVU and UrbanToronto: Transit+Towers and 2026 Global Walking Tours

Anthony Teles — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:52:09 -0400

High-rise living takes centre stage on October 1, 2026, as the Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU, formerly CTBUH) brings its annual Global Walking Tour to Toronto. Under the theme “The Space Called Home,” the Thursday evening walk will explore the South Core and CityPlace, culminating in a tour of Concord Canada House and its 72nd-floor sky lounge. UrbanToronto is the event’s exclusive media partner.

Toronto joins cities including Auckland, Ottawa, and Taipei in examining what makes a tower a place to call home. Curated locally by members of CVU’s Urban Habitat Assembly, the walks consider how residential towers connect with streets, public spaces, and cultural destinations, and how those relationships shape daily life.

The walk departs at 5:30 PM from Maple Leaf Square, on the west side of Scotiabank Arena, before heading through the residential districts of South Core and CityPlace. Joining CVU’s Canada and Toronto leadership will be James Parakh (Ontario Association of Architects), Concord Canada House architect Mansoor Kazerouni, and Concord Adex’s Gabriel Leung.

Looking northwest to Concord Canda House, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Undead

At Concord Canada House, the tour moves indoors for a closer look at the development and its residential amenities. From the 72nd-floor sky lounge, sweeping views across the skyline and Lake Ontario will give participants a new perspective on the neighbourhoods explored at street level.

Registration is open, with tickets priced at $25 for CVU members and $35 for non-members. Admission includes light refreshments at a networking gathering following the walk, with the venue still to be announced. Intended for professionals in architecture, planning, development, and related fields, the tour starts promptly at 5:30 PM; participants should arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, wear comfortable walking shoes, and dress for the weather.

Coming up sooner though, CVU and UrbanToronto’s Transit+Towers series returns on Thursday, September 17, tracing the relationship between subway access and high-rise growth along the Yonge corridor. The two-hour tour leaves Union Station’s Great Hall at 5:30 PM, with stops at College, Bloor–Yonge, St Clair, and Yonge and Eglinton. Open to industry professionals and enthusiasts alike, the walk offers a look at how transit has influenced Toronto’s development since the subway opened in 1954. Tickets are available here, with participants responsible for their own TTC fares.

The CVU and UrbanToronto Transit+Towers walking tour stops to hear about about College Park, image by Will Miranda

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UrbanToronto's research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe—from proposal through to completion. Other services include Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.

Taller, Slimmer Towers Proposed on Main Street West in Hamilton's Westdale

Anthony Teles — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:10:03 -0400

Taller, slimmer towers are now proposed at 925 Main Street West in Hamilton’s Westdale South neighbourhood, where plans have evolved from a student residence into purpose-built rental housing. Designed by KNYMH for Effort Trust, the resubmission would raise the previous dual 25-storey towers to 26 and 29 storeys with smaller floor-plates, responding to Design Review Panel feedback. It would rise immediately beside the planned Longwood stop on Hamilton’s planned LRT line.

Looking south to 925 Main Street West, designed by KNYMH for Effort Trust

Spanning 1.94ha at 925 Main Street West and 150 Longwood Road South, the irregularly shaped site occupies the southwest corner of the two streets. Formerly home to a car dealership, the property is now vacant, extending from the Main Street frontage toward the Chedoke Creek valley and Highway 403 to the south. Apartment buildings and Columbia International College stand to the west, with low-rise commercial uses to the east. Across Main Street, the neighbourhood transitions to early-20th-century detached homes.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding context, image from submission to City of Hamilton

Planning for the site dates back to 2014, with an earlier proposal for a Columbia International College student residence eventually taking shape as two 16-storey towers linked by a four-storey podium. Council approved Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments in September, 2018, followed by conditional Site Plan Approval that November. A neighbouring landowner appealed the amendments, but the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal dismissed the appeals in October, 2020. The Site Plan Approval expired in November, 2023, and the project moved toward the rental apartment concept presented in 2024.

Looking south to the previous plan designed by KNYMH for Effort Trust

The revised layout redistributes the building mass into slimmer towers of 26 and 29 storeys, rising 89.9m and 98.55m, respectively, compared with the previous pair of 25-storey, 85.85m towers. Responding to Design Review Panel feedback, each tower floor-plate has been reduced to 750m², with more than 36m separating the two. A six-storey podium would bridge the central driveway, while a five-storey section addresses the Main–Longwood intersection, retaining the earlier scheme’s general podium heights.

Looking southeast to the podium, designed by KNYMH for Effort Trust

The apartment count would edge up by seven to 635 purpose-built rentals, comprising 49 studios, 344 one-bedroom units including 178 with dens, 179 two-bedroom units including 10 with dens, and 63 three-bedroom units. Compared with the previous mix, studios would decline by 57, one-bedrooms would increase by nine, and two-bedrooms would decrease by eight. Gross Floor Area would increase by 683m² to 46,400m², including 322m² of four ground-floor commercial units, making for a Floor Space Index of 5.92 times coverage of the site.

Site plan, designed by KNYMH for Effort Trust

Residential amenities would total 8,758m², comprising 604m² indoors and 8,154m² outdoors, with the latter including 627m² of rooftop space and balconies. Three elevators would serve each tower, providing six overall, or approximately one per 106 apartments, indicating that high-speed motors would be required to provide reasonable response times.

Ground floor plan, designed by KNYMH for Effort Trust

The four-level underground garage would remain. Vehicle parking would increase by 53 spaces to 435, comprising 402 residential and 33 visitor spaces, with 431 underground and four at grade beneath the podium. Bicycle parking would fall by 143 spaces to 511: 445 long-term and 64 short-term residential spaces, plus one long-term and one short-term commercial space.

The planned Longwood LRT stop would sit immediately in front of the site on Main Street West, placing future residents steps from the proposed 14km Hamilton LRT line linking McMaster University with Eastgate through Downtown Hamilton. Existing HSR bus stops are also steps away along Main Street West and Longwood Road South, while a GO bus stop is approximately 200m west at Columbia International College. Nearby cycling facilities include lanes on sections of Main Street West and King Street West, with a two-lane cycling facility planned along the site’s Main Street frontage as part of the LRT project and a separated cycling facility identified for Longwood Road South.

Planned Hamilton Light Rail Transit map, image by Metrolinx

The resubmission joins a growing concentration of development and construction activity along Main Street West and around McMaster’s campuses. To the east, the six-storey The Point is under construction, while Beverly Hills Apartments is proposed at 18 storeys. South of the site, construction is underway on McMaster Innovation Park’s seven-storey Hyatt Hotel. To the west, the proposed eight-storey 1223 Main Street West joins active construction at the 15-storey 1107 Main Street West and Lincoln Alexander Hall, with its 10- and 15-storey towers.

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News Roundup for September 11, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Toronto’s Love Park pond used to be green and slimy, with a look at what turned things around; gardeners set to lose 30-year-old community plot for Toronto supportive housing plead with city to save it; Toronto International Film Festival begins amid other weekend events; and other news.

Toronto’s Love Park pond used to be green and slimy. Here’s what turned things around (The Star)

Gardeners set to lose 30-year-old community plot for Toronto supportive housing plead with city to save it (CBC)

Weekend need-to-know: Toronto International Film Festival begins (CityNews)

Metrolinx report pulls back curtain on what led to GO train derailment outside Union Station (The Star)

Homelessness on the rise in Ontario while province on track to spend less, report says (CBC)

Can student residences be designed to fight loneliness? U of T Mississauga is finding out (The Star)

Revisited

Craig White — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

14 years, 9 months, and 2 days since our thread for Mississauga City Centre's One Park Tower was last updated, a new photo shows that this striking 38-storey condominium building still cuts a dramatic figure on the local skyline just west of Square One. The Kirkor Architects Planners-designed tower was conceived as a modern take on the buildings that ring New York's Central Park, with a particular emphasis on its crown, which never looks better than at night, lights positioned to accentuate its acute angles.

One Park Tower rises to a dramatic peak in Mississauga City Centre, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor SwissPlanner

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor SwissPlanner. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

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From the Air: Kitchener Condo and Rental Construction Advances

Anthony Teles — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:58:07 -0400

A recent set of drone photographs by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ZEBuilder offers an aerial tour of construction across Kitchener and Waterloo, updating many construction projects across the conjoined cities west of Toronto. This first instalment catches up with progress at three sites in Kitchener.

At 864 King Street West, the future 44-storey rental apartment tower now reaches 11 storeys, with work progressing on the 12th and 13th floors where the formwork can be seen. The six-storey podium’s L-shaped footprint features step-backs defining the transition to the narrower tower floor-plate. Precast wall panels are beginning to enclose the lower tower levels, while the podium levels remain exposed, with massive blanks walls where the parking garage will be. ZEBuilder notes that the crane recently underwent its first climb, adding three mast sections to accommodate the building’s increasing height. Materials and equipment occupy the staging area at grade on the west side of the site.

Looking northeast at 864 King Street West’s rising tower and six-storey podium, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ZEBuilder

Developed by Vive Development and designed by Reinders + Law, the 44-storey tower is planned to rise 140.5m and deliver 455 rental apartments at the northeast corner of King Street West and Pine Street, in Kitchener’s KW Hospital area beside the ION light rail corridor. The building will feature a slender tower articulated by white and taupe cladding, dark window bays, and stacked projecting balconies with glass guards. The balcony stacks will terminate at varying heights near the crown, exposing taller vertical window groupings beneath a flat roofline.

Looking northwest to 864 King Street West, designed by Reinders + Law for Vive Development

Franklin Flats is an affordable rental community in Kitchener's Kingsdale area. Here we see the fourth and final building structurally complete at the upper left of the complex, with cladding installation underway. Much of its exterior remains exposed, with windows installed and boom lifts providing access to several levels of the facade. Materials and equipment occupy the work area below, contrasting with the finished walkways and planting beds around the completed buildings. Angular parapets give each building a distinctive silhouette, while the elevated perspective reveals mechanical equipment behind them.

Looking northwest at Franklin Flats as cladding advances on the fourth and final building, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ZEBuilder

Designed by ABA Architects for Maxwell Building Consultants, Franklin Flats brings 256 affordable rental apartments across four six-storey buildings on Franklin Street South between Highway 8 and Connaught Street. The compact rectangular volumes are distinguished by contrasting upper-storey finishes in charcoal, brown, and warm orange. Pale cladding panels wrap the middle floors, with staggered joints, windows of varying widths, and glass-fronted Juliet balconies.

Looking north to Franklin Flats, designed by ABA Architects for Maxwell Building Consultants

Looking south towards Elevate Condos’ first completed tower, at 15 storeys, stands behind a crane in its expanding construction site, also in Kitchener’s Kingsdale–Stanley Park area. White and light grey cladding surrounds dark window bays and stacked balconies, with a dark mechanical penthouse capping the tower. Two more darkly-clad podium wings project towards the next phase, framing a future central courtyard. To the north, a recently installed crane rises above the grade-level concrete slab, with initial precast wall sections in place. Materials are staged across the slab and around the site perimeter. The next two towers will rise to 12 and 15 storeys, with a further 12-storey tower planned to the west.

Looking southwest at Elevate Condos’ completed tower and construction of the next phases, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ZEBuilder

Designed by ABA Architects for ELM Developments, who took over the project after Pamata Hospitality went into receivership, Elevate Condos occupies the southwest corner of Weber Street East and Fergus Avenue, north of Highway 8. The four-tower development will bring 544 homes to the area.

Looking northwest to Elevate Condos, designed by ABA Architects for ELM Developments

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Five Towers up to 27 Storeys Proposed Beside Vaughan Mills Mall

Anthony Teles — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:30:00 -0400

Five mixed-use condominium towers rising up to 27 storeys are proposed for vacant lands immediately south of the Vaughan Mills mall. Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Greenpark Homes, 85 through 125 Bass Pro Mills Drive would bring residential plus ground level commercial space west of Jane Street and east of Highway 400.

Looking north to 85-125 Bass Pro Mills Drive, designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Greenpark Homes

The vacant property at 85, 105, and 125 Bass Pro Mills Drive lies spans approximately 3.08 hectares between Bass Pro Mills Drive to the south and Fishermens Way (the Vaughan Mills ring road) to the north, with a planned extension of Romina Drive along its eastern edge. Vaughan Mills shopping centre anchors the surrounding area to the north, while commercial and employment properties predominate to the south, while lands earmarked for residential redevelopment along Jane Street characterize the area.

An aerial view of the vacant site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Vaughan

Historically known as the Mammone Lands, the property received tribunal approval for Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments in September, 2018, establishing permissions for a phased high-rise mixed-use development. The approvals also secured approximately 2.2 acres of Romina Parklands, conveyed to the City to satisfy parkland dedication requirements. The current proposal refines the earlier design, removing shared podium elements in favour of standalone towers. Weston Consulting has submitted a Site Plan Approval application to the City of Vaughan on behalf of the developer.

The plan arranges five standalone towers across the site. The southwest and central south towers would rise 18 storeys, followed by the northwest tower at 24 storeys and the northeast and southeast towers at 27 storeys, with heights ranging from 67.29m to 96.49m. The buildings would be completed in five development phases.

Looking south to 85-125 Bass Pro Mills Drive, designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Greenpark Homes

The development would include 1,371 condominium units: one studio, 897 one-bedrooms, 453 two-bedrooms, and 20 suites with three or more bedrooms. A Gross Floor Area of 113,865m² would include 111,966m² of residential space and 1,899m² of commercial space, with the latter divided between 1,093m² in the northwest tower and 806m² in the northeast tower. The Floor Space Index would be 2.69 times coverage of the lot.

Site plan, designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Greenpark Homes

Plans entail 1,945m² of indoor and 1,454m² of outdoor amenities. Each tower would be served by three elevators, providing approximately one elevator for every 67 to 115 homes, depending on the building; the tallest towers would require high-speed motors for adequate response times when all elevators are operational.

A four-level underground garage would accommodate 1,633 vehicle parking spaces, with another 30 at grade. The supply would include 1,333 resident spaces, all underground, and 330 shared visitor and commercial spaces, split between 300 below grade and the 30 surface spaces. Bicycle parking would total 1,413 spaces, comprising 1,373 long-term and 40 short-term spaces.

Ground floor plan, designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Greenpark Homes

YRT stops along Bass Pro Mills Drive at Jane Street and Edgeley Boulevard provide surface transit access, while the Vaughan Mills Transit Terminal is approximately 1km away. Area routes provide connections to Maple and Rutherford GO stations. Services south to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre connect with the subway, Viva Orange, and Züm buses. Cycling infrastructure remains limited, with shared-lane markings on Jane Street and routes planned along Bass Pro Mills Drive and Romina Drive.

The proposal joins high-rise developments around Vaughan Mills. To the northeast, 9075 Jane Street is proposed at 30 storeys, while Abeja District’s second phase would add two 30-storey towers to the underway master planned community of 12 towers ranging from 22 to 38 storeys. To the north, 3300 Rutherford Road is proposed with six towers rising 12 to 29 storeys, while to the west, plans for 255 Bass Pro Mills Drive call for nine towers ranging from 12 to 39 storeys.

* * *

News Roundup for September 10, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0400

AC/DC concert at Rogers Stadium cancelled by Live Nation after storm damage; Olivia Chow paints a picture of two different Torontos in re-election campaign bid; a look at how TIFF will impact TTC service; and other news.

AC/DC concert at Rogers Stadium cancelled by Live Nation after storm damage (Global News)

Olivia Chow paints a picture of two different Torontos in re-election campaign bid (CityNews)

TIFF starts Thursday. Here’s how it will impact TTC service (CP24)

Why North York’s giant bear sculpture is now at the centre of a $1-million lawsuit (The Star)

Live Nation hands Toronto engineering report on Rogers Stadium damage (Global News)

Open Architecture

Craig White — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

The CN Tower is perfectly framed between the ruins of two Victorian bay-and-gable houses on College Street across from the University of Toronto's St George campus. The heritage walls of the houses are on track to be incorporated into the base of a new rental apartment building.

A pair of gutted Victorian bay-and-gable style houses frame a view of the CN Tower, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor snyberTO

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor snyberTO. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

* * *

U of T’s Academic Wood Tower Nears Full Height

Anthony Teles — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 17:12:17 -0400

Nearly three years after construction began in November, 2023, and 10 months since UrbanToronto’s last update in November, 2025, the University of Toronto’s Academic Wood Tower continues to slowly progress towards completion. Designed by Patkau Architects and MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects, the 14-storey hybrid mass-timber and steel building will become Canada’s tallest academic timber structure when completed. Located at the northern edge of the St George campus, U of T’s Governing Council approved revised project costs and funding in principle in June, 2026, while Woodsworth College’s residence agreement confirms construction will continue into the 2026–27 academic year.

Viewed from across Bloor Street in May, 2026, curtain wall glazing partially covers the north elevation, with few panels attached higher up. Around the corner, opaque, horizontally scored panels enclose much of the west elevation. Through open bays, glulam columns, beams, and substantial diagonal braces supporting mass-timber decks can be seen, with temporary guardrails along their edges. The steel-framed west stair core projects above the top deck.

Looking southeast from Bloor Street West to stepped curtain wall installation on the north elevation, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Lachlan Holmes

By June, 2026, north elevation glazing has progressed, while east elevation panels stop two storeys below the uppermost deck. The adjacent construction hoist reaches a similar height, flanked by scaffolding and orange tarp. Flights and landings remain visible in the steel-framed east stair core above the timber structure.

Looking southwest to east elevation cladding, the construction hoist, and exposed upper timber framing, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo

In July, 2026, the tower stood 13 storeys tall, with glulam columns, beams, and diagonal bracing projecting into the 14th and final floor. The cantilever above the Goldring Centre carries dark horizontal cladding bands to the 11th floor, while white tarps cover future window wall openings on floors five through nine; higher bays expose substantial timber braces.

Looking northwest to the cantilever above Goldring Centre and framing for the final floor, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo

Looking east from St George Street, tall glulam posts, diagonal braces, and horizontal timber members are beginning to outline where an event venue and mechanicals will be located around the projecting west stair core. A peaked roof will slope to the south above. Cladding reaches the thirteenth floor in sections, interrupted by a narrow vertical slot in the largely opaque west facade, glazed below and exposing framing above.

Looking east from St George Street to mechanical crown framing above the west elevation, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor AlbertC

A drone shot shows north elevation glazing largely installed through the eleventh floor, its dark reflective surface revealing diagonal timber bracing. Exposed upper floors and the open roof-beam lattice clarify the crown’s depth and geometry. Above the historic Munk School building in the foreground, the tower stands prominently beside Varsity Stadium.

An elevated view looking south over Varsity Stadium to north elevation glazing and the emerging rooftop structure, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor rhinocopter

This month, a continuous curtain wall with closely spaced mullions reaches the fourteenth floor on the north elevation. East-face cladding has advanced, leaving upper levels open at the southern end for glazing to wrap around the corner. Inclined glulam members and deep diagonal braces further define the crown’s two angular planes, which will converge at a pointed apex.

Looking southwest to glazing reaching the fourteenth floor beneath the angular timber crown, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor flonicky

With thirteenth-level work having been underway as of November, 2025, progress has been protracted. Construction above an occupied athletic facility, the cantilevered hybrid assembly, and deliveries to a constrained site add complexity, but the university has not divulged the reasons fot the delays here. Upon completion, the Academic Wood Tower will stand 77m tall.

Looking northwest to U of T: Academic Wood Tower, designed by Patkau Architects and MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects (MJMA) for the University of Toronto

* * *

Crew Shortage, Demand Changes Bring GO Transit Service Cuts

Nolan Xuereb — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:55:59 -0400

GO Transit riders across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area are adjusting to broad service reductions following a sweeping set of schedule shifts that began to take effect over Labour Day weekend. Driven by a combination of persistent crew shortages and what Metrolinx frames as an effort to align service with post-summer demand, the cuts scale back off-peak rail frequency across the Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, Barrie, and Stouffville corridors, with select rail trips replaced by bus service.

Two GO Train locomotives sit out of service in the GO Transit Willowbrook rail yard, image courtesy of Metrolinx

While weekday rush-hour train service remains intact across all lines, off-peak service frequencies have endured notable reductions. Most significantly, the 15-minute weekend rail service implemented during afternoon and evening peak hours on the Lakeshore West line between Union Station and Aldershot GO, as well as on the Lakeshore East line between Union Station and Durham College Oshawa GO, has been eliminated, reverting the system's flagship lines to 30-minute intervals for the remainder of the week.

A map of GO Transit's rail services, and Toronto's rapid transit network, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Travellers from the Niagara Region face some of the most dramatic cutbacks, with weekday service slashed by three trips, cancelling midday and evening runs in both directions, leaving just a single daily peak-period round trip between Niagara Falls and Union Station.

Go Transit's overview of the service changes in effect on the Lakeshore East and West lines, image courtesy of Metrolinx

On the Barrie line, all weekend morning and afternoon train service has been eliminated, alongside a significant slate of weekday evening trips. Service during these impacted periods will instead be provided by GO Bus Routes 65 and 68, resulting in a notable reduction in carrying capacity and longer travel times as highway coaches navigate mixed traffic across 400-series highways and local surface roads.

Go Transit's overview of the service changes in effect on the Barrie line, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Similar reductions in weekend and late-day weekday service have been implemented on the Stouffville line, with all morning and early afternoon weekend train trips eliminated. Weekend rail operations are restricted to a limited block of four evening trips operating two hours apart, with GO Bus Route 71 handling replacement transit into downtown Toronto during daytime hours. On weekday nights, late-night northbound train runs out of Union Station to Old Elm GO have been cancelled, leaving a single 10:30 PM train as the final late-evening rail option.

Go Transit's overview of the service changes in effect on the Stouffville line, image courtesy of Metrolinx

According to Metrolinx, the primary driver behind these widespread schedule shifts is an ongoing shortage of certified rail crews, an operational bottleneck the agency estimates will not be resolved until Spring 2027. Following record summer ridership across the regional network, boosted in part by major international events like Toronto's FIFA World Cup matches, GO Transit's rail operating partner faced severe operational strains that disrupted routine staff training programs. The provincial agency maintains that temporarily substituting off-peak rail service with bus operations will provide the operator with the necessary windows to advance crew training and recertification.

However, these persistent operational bottlenecks raise sharper questions for a mega-project that has already seen billions of dollars poured into GO Expansion over recent years. Originally conceived as a transformation toward high-frequency, two-way all-day regional transit, the project’s overall capital framework has absorbed upwards of $15 billion as of late 2025, with billions more committed over the coming decade, even as future service targets have been steadily downscoped. Ultimately, transit experts and industry observers warn that these ongoing off-peak reductions and staffing shortfalls continue to call into question Metrolinx’s capacity to successfully deliver, crew, and reliably operate a modern regional rail network.

Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay, image courtesy of CBC's "New Metrolinx CEO eligible for potential 6-figure bonus" via Evan Mitsui

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress—or the distinct lack thereof—on GO Expansion. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversations in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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25-Storey Rental Tower Planned on Eglinton East near Markham Road

Anthony Teles — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:39:06 -0400

New ownership and a new design team have reworked a proposal at 3174 Eglinton Avenue East near Markham Road in Toronto’s Scarborough Village. CentraCondos Group’s purpose-built rental proposal, designed by Sweeny &Co Architects, replaces a plan for a condo from NJS Capital and Scarboro Golf & Country Club Residence Inc that was designed by SvN (now merged with WW+P). In the new scheme, the 23-storey tower is replaced by one of 25 storeys, with 20% of homes proposed at affordable rents through the City’s Purpose-Built Rental Housing Incentive Stream.

Looking northeast to 3174 Eglinton East, designed by Sweeny &Co Architects Inc for CentraCondos Group

The 2,881m² site spans 3174 through 3182 Eglinton Avenue East plus 1 through 7 Centre Street at their northeast corner, just west of Markham Road. A two-storey plaza containing retail and service businesses fronts Eglinton behind surface parking, with a single-storey detached house to the north. The assembly straddles Eglinton’s commercial corridor and a low-rise residential neighbourhood, with taller residential development nearby.

Looking northeast to the current site, image retrieved from Google Maps

First submitted in April, 2023, the initial proposal called for a 29-storey, 98m condominium tower with 342 units. A 2024 resubmission reduced it to 22 storeys and 327 units, followed that September by a revision to 23 storeys and 335 units. Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment approvals followed, but the site was then listed for sale in March, 2025.

Looking northeast to the previous 23-storey design by SvN for NJS Capital and Scarboro Golf & Country Club Residence

KLM Planning Partners has now submitted a Site Plan Approval application to the City of Toronto on behalf of CentraCondos for the new plan. The redesigned tower would rise 79.75m, just 0.45m taller despite gaining two floors. Its podium would shrink from seven to four storeys, with ground-floor retail and three enclosed parking levels above. Gross Floor Area would fall by 2,132m² to 19,035m², including 18,727m² of residential space and 308m² of retail, down approximately 2,053m² and 77m², respectively. Floor Space Index would decrease from 7.35 to 7.04 times coverage of the assembled lots.

Site plan, designed by Sweeny &Co Architects Inc for CentraCondos Group

The 283 rental apartments represent a reduction of 52 from the previous 335 unit plan. All 98 studios would be eliminated, while one-bedrooms would increase from 153 to 191, and two-bedrooms from 51 to 65. The number of three-bedroom suites would decrease from 33 to 27. Three elevators would provide one cab for every 94 units, indicating reasonable service when all elevators are operating as long as high-enough speed motors are purchased.

Looking northeast to 3174 Eglinton East, designed by Sweeny &Co Architects Inc for CentraCondos Group

Fifth-floor amenities would include 736m² indoors and 396m² outdoors on the podium rooftop. Vehicular access to one underground parking level and the three podium levels would be via a driveway off of Centre Street. The plans call for 132 spaces, up 87 from 45: resident spaces would increase from 24 to 113, visitor spaces would decrease from 19 to 17, and two loading spaces would remain. Bicycle parking would fall from 276 to 111 spaces, comprising 96 long-term and 10 short-term residential spaces, plus four long-term and one short-term retail spaces.

Ground floor plan, designed by Sweeny &Co Architects Inc for CentraCondos Group

The developer is preparing its rental incentive application ahead of the September 18, 2026 deadline, targeting construction in 2027.

Eglinton GO station on the Lakeshore East line is approximately one kilometre west, while TTC buses along Eglinton Avenue East and Markham Road connect to the subway network. Cycling connections include the Eglinton East Trail to the west and routes along Bellamy Road South. The envisioned but unfunded Eglinton East LRT extension would stop at Eglinton and Markham, steps from the site, connecting to Lines 2 and 5 at Kennedy station. Separated cycling tracks are planned along Eglinton.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

To the west, 3150 and 3095 Eglinton East are proposed at 11 and 12 storeys, respectively. The Cedars is under construction to the north with four towers of 8 to 21 storeys. To the east, Markington Square Redevelopment proposes six towers of 9 to 21 storeys, while 3730 Kingston Road is proposed at 24 storeys. Further west near Eglinton GO Station, proposals include three towers of 25 to 37 storeys at 2956 Eglinton East, three of 10 to 39 storeys at 123 Bellamy Road North, and a 49-storey tower at 2941 Eglinton East.

* * *

News Roundup for September 9, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Toronto condo developer cuts 200 units from two-tower project; Ontario hit 58% of 2025 housing goal, even after adding long-term care, student beds; Toronto residents still waiting for city's response to fallen trees; and other news.

Toronto condo developer cuts 200 units from two-tower project: ‘People are looking for more livability’ (The Star)

Ontario hit 58% of 2025 housing goal, even after adding long-term care, student beds (Global News)

Toronto residents still waiting for city's response to fallen trees (CityNews)

New Toronto mayoral poll suggests most want property taxes cut, frozen or below inflation (CBC)

Toronto police launch ‘back-to-school’ safety campaign as Mayor Olivia Chow renews call for speed cameras (The Star)

Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford promises to prioritize the Scarborough East LRT if elected (CBC)

Well Framed

Craig White — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

Looking north across the Union Station Rail Corridor from the Northern Linear Park at CityPlace, The Well's glassed canopy takes centre stage where latticed arms reach up to support a wave-like arch over the complex's pedestrian retail spine. In behind, one of KING Toronto's peaks rises to its full height, awaiting the glass block cladding that will turn the concrete levels into living spaces.

KING Toronto rises behind The Well's latticed canopy in Downtown Toronto, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Nakita33

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor Nakita33. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

* * *

Trinity College's Lawson Centre for Sustainability Opens New Space at U of T

Anthony Teles — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:12:55 -0400

With the new school year upon us, the University of Toronto’s Trinity College is welcoming students to its Lawson Centre for Sustainability. Designed by Mecanoo Architecten, with RDH Architects as Architect of Record and ERA Architects as heritage consultants, the four-storey hybrid mass-timber building combines student residences, dining and communal areas, seminar rooms, faculty offices, and sustainability-focused learning spaces. At Hoskin Avenue and Devonshire Place on the university's St George campus, construction ran from December, 2022 to May, 2026; UrbanToronto last provided an update in January, 2023.

Viewed from Devonshire Place in March, 2026, the largely enclosed west elevation rises four storeys at the north end, with a projecting single-storey wing extending south along the street. Limestone-clad piers separate recessed glazing. Construction fencing encloses exposed soil and gravel along the unfinished frontage.

Looking northeast to the west elevation and Devonshire Place construction frontage, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor AlbertC

An April, 2026 view highlights the Nevil Thomas Wing’s south entrance, sheltered beneath a projecting upper volume. Above the limestone ground floor, finer horizontal coursing surrounds a tall, dark-framed glazed opening divided by champagne-coloured panels. Closely spaced horizontal ribs are seen beside the glazing, with vertical ribbing accenting bands below and along the parapet. Entrance lettering names the wing, complemented by Lawson Centre for Sustainability signage on the adjacent stone wall.

Looking northeast to the Nevil Thomas Wing south entrance and facade details, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor rdaner

Viewed from Bloor Street across the Varsity Centre field in May, 2026, the elongated four-storey north elevation features alternating punched windows of varying sizes beneath a flat roofline. Dark frames and recessed reveals articulate the openings, while larger glazed bays, mostly obscured from this viewpoint, define the ground floor.

Looking south from Bloor Street to the north elevation across the Varsity Centre field, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ADRM

The adjoining wings frame a landscaped inner courtyard. At left, champagne-toned aluminum clads the upper level around a continuous band of tall windows, contrasting with punched openings in the limestone and masonry elevations below. Angled champagne-coloured metal surrounds create splayed reveals around large windows and glazed double doors in the projecting ground-floor volume. Wooden benches face a rounded triangular inset of textured paving bordered by smooth concrete walkways, alongside slim bollard lights and mulched beds with young plantings.

Looking northwest from the North Field to inner courtyard glazing, seating, and landscaping, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ADRM

At the building’s east end, a ground-hugging stone sign is seen alongside curving concrete walkways that link a bicycle parking pad and bench to paths beside the four-storey residence. Broad wood-chip-mulched beds hold newly planted trees and plants, with small pink marker flags scattered through the soil. Fresh green lawn meets the established tree canopy to the east.

Looking south to east-end landscaping and Lawson Centre signage, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Erich Nelson

In August, 2026, the Lawson Centre's Devonshire Place frontage revealed the massing: the four-storey Arthur Scace Academic Building block at left, a reconstructed single-storey wing that connects to the George Ignatieff Theatre behind it, and the older three-storey Gerald Larkin Building to the right. Scace signage sits beside a recessed glazed entrance approached by stairs with metal handrails and a sloping accessible ramp. New shrubs and young trees line the facade, while mulched beds follow the grade towards the sidewalk. Alternating narrow and broad windows animate the new elevation.

Looking east to the completed Devonshire Place frontage with entrance stairs and accessible ramp, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo

Standing 16.52m tall, the Lawson Centre for Sustainability provides 346 more student residence units alongside new academic and communal spaces for Trinity College.

A high-angle view looking north to the Lawson Centre for Sustainability, designed by Mecanoo Architecten for University of Toronto

* * *

KingSett Proposes Office-to-Student-Housing Conversion at Gerrard & Bay

Anthony Teles — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:26:28 -0400

KingSett Capital is proposing to convert office space within the 32-storey LuCliff complex at 700 Bay Street into purpose-built rental units marketed to students in Downtown Toronto. Designed by Zeidler Architecture, the Site Plan Approval submission would repurpose the totality of the office space found at the east end of the complex on floors 2 through 24 without adding height or density, while retaining the complex’s ground-floor retail and conjoined rental apartment sections.

North elevation highlighting proposed student housing and second-floor amenities at 700 Bay Street, designed by BDP Quandrangle and Zeidler Architecture for KingSett Capital

At the southwest corner of Bay Street and Gerrard Street West, 700 Bay forms part of the interconnected LuCliff Place complex along with doors at 77 and 99 Gerrard Street West, on a block bounded by Elizabeth Street to the west and Walton Street to the south. The building contains office space and ground-floor retail, while the adjoining rental buildings house 451 units. Set within Downtown’s Health Sciences District, the complex sits amid hospitals, residential towers, and commercial uses, close to Toronto Metropolitan University and within a 15-minute walk of the University of Toronto.

A high-angle view looking southwest to the current site, image from submission to City of Toronto

Built in 1977, LuCliff Place underwent a major expansion following a 2017 rezoning, with KingSett adding a 94.79m-tall 32-storey western tower and six-storey rooftop extension to the original 26-storey complex. Designed by BDP Quadrangle, the additions were topped out in 2019 and the interiors completed in 2020. Elevate Planning & Project Management has now submitted a Site Plan Approval application to the City of Toronto on behalf of the developer for the latest round of proposed changes.

A high-angle view looking southwest to 700 Bay Street’s office component and adjoining rentals at 77 and 99 Gerrard Street West, image from submission to City of Toronto

The conversion would reuse the existing eastern part of building, repurposing floors 2 through 24 without increasing its height or density. Its 15,386m² of office space would be converted to student-oriented rental accommodation, while 1,472m² of ground-floor retail would remain. The proposal comprises 249 units containing 364 beds, with a mix of 158 studios, 68 two-bedroom, 22 three-bedroom, and one four-bedroom unit. Together with the 451 existing rental units at 77 and 99 Gerrard Street West, the three-building complex would contain 700 residential units, with the conjoined rental buildings unchanged.

Site plan, designed by Zeidler Architecture and BDP Quadrangle for KingSett Capital

The second floor would combine residential accommodation with 1,043m² of indoor amenities and common areas supporting student living. Five elevators would serve the conversion, providing approximately one elevator per 73 beds, indicating good response times during normal operation. At ground level, the existing Gerrard Street and Bay Street lobbies would remain the primary pedestrian entrances alongside the retained retail space.

Ground floor plan, designed by Zeidler Architecture and BDP Quadrangle for KingSett Capital

The complex’s shared five-level underground garage would retain its 253 vehicle parking spaces, comprising 181 residential spaces, four car-share spaces, and 68 commercial spaces, with none allocated to the new student-oriented units. Bicycle parking would also remain unchanged at 358 spaces, divided into 300 long-term residential, 28 short-term residential, and 30 non-residential spaces.

Looking southwest to existing office space at 700 Bay Street, with Gerrard Street lobby and pickup/drop-off layby, image from submission to City of Toronto

The site is approximately 450m away from College station and 500m from Dundas station on Yonge Line 1, as well as 650m from both St Patrick and Queen’s Park stations on University Line 1. Streetcar service along College and Dundas streets provides east-west connections, with cycling routes along College Street and University Avenue.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

The surrounding area is seeing extensive development activity, with SickKids’ 29-storey Peter Gilgan Family Patient Care Tower proposed to the west, and proposals for 24 and 57 storeys at 700 University Avenue and 60 storeys at 149 College Street to the northwest. Southwest, the 54-storey United BLDG is under construction, while 123 Edward would rise 53 and 59 storeys, alongside proposals for 63 storeys at 505 University Avenue and 64 storeys at 522 University Avenue. To the south, proposals include 650 Bay Street at 18 storeys and Bay and Edward Condos at 19 and 22 storeys, while the Toronto Coach Terminal Redevelopment is under construction with 610 Bay at 16 storeys and 130 Elizabeth Street at 44 storeys. East of the site, 8 Elm and Concord Sky are under construction at 69 and 85 storeys, respectively, joining a pipeline of proposals including 18 Elm at 44 storeys, 399 Yonge at 75 storeys, 372 Yonge at 85 storeys, and Chelsea Green’s three towers ranging from 31 to 90 storeys.

* * *

News Roundup for September 8, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0400

A look at why new Toronto rentals aren’t easing the supply crunch at the lower end of market; City orders Live Nation Canada to repair Rogers Stadium after 'significant damage'; new, steeper GO Transit and UP Express fare evasion penalties beginning; and other news.

Why new Toronto rentals aren’t easing the supply crunch at the lower end of market (The Star)

City orders Live Nation Canada to repair Rogers Stadium after 'significant damage' (CBC)

New, steeper GO Transit and UP Express fare evasion penalties beginning (CityNews)

These women walked the entire TTC Line 2 for a good cause (CBC)

Toronto Hydro says it has restored power to 65,000 customers five days after intense storm (The Star)

Service resumes on TTC’s Line 6 after early-morning system failure (CityNews)

If you make $77,000 a year, you can crack the condo market in this Toronto neighbourhood (The Star)

Beguiling Biidaasige Sunrise

Craig White — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

The sun pops out from behind both early morning clouds and the Atlas Crane in Biidassige Park on Toronto's waterfront. The meandering new mouth of the Don River passes through the park, half on the Port Lands' headland, and part on what's now the island of Ookwemin Minising. Reflections off the water, the magic wam light of dawn, and some remaining mist hanging about the thriving greenery all juxtapose beautifully with the industrial nature of the Port Lands' remaining business activity and its curated relics.

The sun appears through the Atlas Crane at Biidaasige Park in Ookwemin Minising, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor xmyth_

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor xmyth_. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

* * *

After the Deluge: Toronto Takes Stock of the Storm

Anthony Teles — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 17:00:00 -0400

During the late afternoon of September 2, 2026, a severe storm system swept across Toronto, bringing intense lightning, torrential rain, golfball-sized hail, and destructive winds. Total rainfall amounts, depending on what block we're talking, ranged from 11mm to 110mm, with Downtown receiving on average 60mm, nearly a month’s worth, and enough to make it the wettest September 2nd on record. City Manager Paul Johnson called it a “100-year storm.” It was a clear sign that climate change is making severe thunderstorms more intense.

SkyTower and the CN Tower beneath the storm’s dark leading edge, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor skycandy

Floodwater covered sections of the Don Valley Parkway, the Bayview Extension, the Gardiner Expressway, the Lower Simcoe Street underpass, and several other low-lying road sections, while TTC and GO Transit services were disrupted. At the peak, approximately 65,000 Toronto Hydro customers lost power. Toronto Fire Services answered nearly 1,500 calls in 24 hours (its second-highest daily volume ever), rescuing people from elevators, scaffolding, floodwaters, and damaged buildings. At Downsview, winds significantly damaged the temporary, 50,000-person Rogers Stadium; with no event on, thankfully there were no injuries reported there.

Across Toronto, familiar buildings became gauges of the storm’s scale. One Bloor West, One Delisle, and SkyTower were lost within rain and low cloud before reappearing beneath the clearing evening sky, their cranes and unfinished crowns tracing the city’s evolving silhouette. At ground level, Union Station, Biidaasige Park, and Evergreen Brick Works coped with the deluge with varying degrees of success, highlighting Toronto’s ongoing effort to renew aging infrastructure and adapt its vulnerable landscapes.

Against the storm’s dark leading edge, the 308.6m One Bloor West crowns the Bloor-Yorkville skyline, its crane and exposed top nearly meeting the low clouds. Champagne-toned megacolumn extensions rise into the 85-storey tower’s steel-framed crown, surrounding the central enclosure for its tuned mass damper.

One Bloor West beneath advancing storm clouds, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor skycandy

After the storm, the building and its neighbours were silhouetted against an intensely pink sky, One Bloor West's crane fixed between the dissipating clouds and darkened city below.

One Bloor West silhouetted against the pink post-storm sky, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawc

Farther north, the 44-storey, 155m One Delisle's distinctive profile dissolves into the sky as it rises. Rotating eight-storey modules that give the tower faceted, chamfered edges, almost disappears with only hints of its crane and steel-framed crown at its top.

One Delisle fading into the storm over Midtown Toronto, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor skycandy

At the waterfront, clouds appeared to curl around SkyTower, their dark underside suspended above Canada’s tallest building, its rooftop maintenance unit exposed against the fury. The 106-storey, 351.85m second phase of Pinnacle One Yonge is wrapped in a slender, twelve-sided envelope of blue glass, its white accent fins nearly lost in the shadows, and its now no longer needed crane, about a quarter of the way back to earth, poking out to the side.

SkyTower rising against rain-filled clouds over the waterfront, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor skycandy

Once the system moved east, the tower emerged beneath a sky divided between deep blue and pink, standing sharply above the Gardiner Expressway and its waterfront neighbourhood.

SkyTower beneath a blue-and-pink post-storm sky, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor mburrrrr

At Union Station, a GO train sits above the excavated south-concourse work zone, where shallow pools remain among new columns, formwork, and exposed reinforcing steel. The scene is part of Metrolinx’s Union Station Enhancement Project, which is adding a 325m-long passenger concourse and reconfiguring tracks and platforms at Canada’s busiest transportation hub. After flooding disrupted TTC and GO services, the largely drained work site captures the network moving into recovery.

Union Station’s south-concourse work zone after the storm, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor pesto

At Biidaasige Park, cleared skies reveal muddy water and scattered debris passing through the broad new Don River channel between wetlands, young trees, and reinforced naturalized banks. The approximately 60-acre park forms the public landscape of the $1.4-billion Port Lands Flood Protection project, which redirected the river to a new mouth and created additional space for high flows to reach the harbour.

Muddy stormwater moving through the naturalized Don River, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor skycandy

Protecting roughly 174 hectares, the project also introduced aquatic habitat, more than 5,000 trees, 77,000 shrubs, and approximately two million herbaceous plants. Here, flood infrastructure operates as a landscape built to receive, slow, and convey swollen flows.

The swollen Don River channel at Biidaasige Park after the storm, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor skycandy

The new mouth does not make the entire Don Valley flood-proof. Twenty-four hours after the downpour, the river had largely returned to its channel, but muddy water still covered parts of the Bayview Extension and Riverdale Park West, submerging recreational fields beside the rail corridor while traffic moved again along the DVP. The new river valley and spillway provide high water with a wider, more direct route to the harbour; they protect the Port Lands downstream but cannot eliminate flooding throughout the narrower parts of the valley.

Floodwater covering Riverdale Park West beside the Don Valley corridor, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawc

Upstream of Bloor Street, Evergreen Brick Works’ low-lying setting left the former industrial campus exposed. At night, its illuminated buildings appear as islands amid floodwater extending toward the rail corridor and Bayview Avenue; by daylight, much had drained, leaving muddy channels and pools beside the tracks, throughout the ravine, and around the Weston Family Quarry Garden. The former 1889 brickyard has become an environmental community centre through the adaptive reuse of its heritage structures, but its Don Valley location remains both defining feature and central vulnerability. The nearly $16-million Evergreen Brick Works 2.0 renewal responds with raised infrastructure, durable materials, regrading, rain gardens, bioswales, and improved stormwater systems, measures intended to limit damage and accelerate recovery rather than remove the site from its floodplain.

Floodwater surrounding Evergreen Brick Works after nightfall, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawcEvergreen Brick Works and the Don Valley after waters receded, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawc

At the end of Rosedale Valley Road, a line of red-and-white flood gates remained deployed across Bayview the following morning, closing the roadway beside the rail corridor as muddy water lingered across the low ground to the east. The barriers are permanent; ready to swing out to keep vehicles off the road when inundated.

Flood gates deployed across Bayview Avenue beside the flooded Don Valley corridor, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawc

Elsewhere in the ravine system, we see the storm’s effects along the Gus Harris Trail through Taylor Creek Park near Warden station. Like many streets in neighbourhoods around the city, downed trees and limbs obstructed passage.

A storm-damaged tree obstructing the Gus Harris Trail, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor TwinHuey

Here, branches and other debris is collected around a damaged footbridge over Taylor Creek.

Storm debris surrounding a closed footbridge in Taylor Creek Park, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Twin Huey

By September 3, though thousands remained without power and muddy parks, roads, and damaged structures still recorded the storm’s path, Toronto was returning to its routines while cleanup continued. Together, the photographs collected here suggest that the city's future will be measured not just by how high it builds, but by how effectively its towers, transit systems, parks, and ravines withstand the weather events swirling around them.

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UnionCity’s Three Towers Rise Near Unionville GO in Markham

Anthony Teles — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:20:06 -0400

Three towers are reshaping the skyline of Markham’s new southerly extension of Unionville at UnionCity. Designed by Arcadis for Metropia, the mixed-use condominium development will rise 36, 40, and 44 storeys from the north side of Enterprise Boulevard, within walking distance of Unionville GO station. UnionCity South is planned as the next phase, on the opposite side of Enterprise Boulevard.

Seen from across Enterprise Boulevard in September, 2024, the project was at an early stage, seven months after construction began. Timber hoarding encloses green and yellow drilling rigs undertaking shoring work alongside a green lattice-boom mobile crane.

Looking west across Enterprise Boulevard to early foundation work, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ImmenselyMental

Nine months later in June, 2025, the buildings were beginning to emerge above grade under three cranes. The centre crane with a red slewing unit was erected by November, 2024 for the 40-storey tower; followed in February, 2025 by a crane for the 44-storey tower at left, and the crane at right was operating by May for the 36-storey tower. Reinforced-concrete columns, walls, and slabs are taking shape across the site, with two levels formed at right and formwork supporting the third floor of the taller towers’ shared podium.

Looking northwest to the rising podium and three tower cranes, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor swampymudkip

A view from April, 2026 shows the 36-storey tower at right reaching approximately 25 floors, with beige architectural cladding panels and window wall already enclosing its first eight levels. At centre, the 40-storey tower stands at roughly 19 floors, with formwork advancing on the 20th level, and a construction hoist running along its east elevation. Blue and green weatherproofing wrap the shared seven-storey podium, while sections of dark cladding and window wall enclose portions of the tower base and lower residential floors.

An elevated view looking west to the advancing tower structures and building envelopes, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Carlo B

By June, 2026, the future 44-storey tower at right has reached approximately 18 floors, with part of the 19th level being formed and dark cladding extending to roughly the 11th level. The two more advanced towers rise behind, while white vertical bands and horizontal accents have begun to articulate the 40-storey tower’s envelope. In the foreground, a long concrete crash wall encloses the parking garage and protects the development from an accident on the adjacent GO corridor.

Looking east across the Stouffville GO corridor to the three rising UnionCity towers, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor CLT

In August, 2026, temporary safety fencing, concrete barriers, and sponsor signage lined the 12-turn, 3.52km street circuit through Markham Centre for the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham. Beyond the track infrastructure, scaffolding wraps the podium beneath its concrete rooftop parapet. At right, the 36-storey tower has topped off at its mechanical penthouse, with cladding reaching to within roughly nine floors of the uppermost residential level. At left, the future 44-storey tower continues upward, distinguished by stacked projecting trapezoidal balconies with white soffits, hiding the 40-storey tower from this vantage point.

Looking north past the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy circuit to UnionCity’s podium and towers, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor swampymudkip

This month, newly installed white balcony guards and cladding accents sharpen the lighter 36-storey tower at right. At centre, cladding has reached approximately the 31st floor as the structure approaches 40 storeys, shifting work from its largely complete residential levels to the mechanical penthouse. The future 44-storey tower at left stands at roughly 30 floors, with its envelope enclosed to about the 21st, while external construction hoists serve both taller structures.

Looking northwest to the latest construction progress across all three UnionCity towers,, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor FormerTorontonianBackInTO

Upon completion, the towers will range from 126.38m to 149.48m and contain 1,360 condominium units. Across Enterprise Boulevard and right beside Unionville GO station, Metropia is planning UnionCity South, comprising six towers of 41 to 45 storeys and heights of 141.5m to 150.5m.

Looking northwest to UnionCity, designed by Arcadis for MetropiaLooking southwest to UnionCity South, designed by Sweeny &Co Architects Inc for Metropia

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35-Storey Rental Tower Proposed at Clark and Bramalea in Brampton

Anthony Teles — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:54:04 -0400

A 35-storey purpose-built rental tower has been proposed at 375 Clark Boulevard at Bramalea Road in Brampton. Designed by GSA Studio for Sandro Sordi, operating as 375 Clark Ltd, the project would relocate the existing Hope Reformed Church to a new building on a partition of the site. The tower would rise in an area where a growing high-rise cluster around Bramalea City Centre and the Bramalea Road corridor meets lower-rise residential and institutional uses.

Looking north to 375 Clark Boulevard, designed by GSA Studio for Sandro Sordi

The 0.88-hectare site occupies the southwest corner of Clark Boulevard and Bramalea Road. The single-storey Hope Reformed Church dates to 1967, surrounded by lawns and surface parking. The property is at the meeting point of two contrasting contexts: a recently completed 20-storey residential building stands across Clark, with Bramalea City Centre to the northeast and commercial plazas lining the corridor, while townhouses and other low-rise housing predominates to the west and south.

Looking east to the current site, image retrieved from Google Maps

Weston Consulting has submitted Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to the City of Brampton on behalf of the developer. The application’s Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report found that the church merits consideration for listing on Brampton’s heritage register, though it did not meet the threshold recommended for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Looking west to 375 Clark Boulevard, designed by GSA Studio for Sandro Sordi

The redevelopment would organize the property into two parcels, with approximately 5,930m² allocated to the residential building at the north end of the site and 2,935m² reserved for a replacement church to the south. The tower would be positioned close to Bramalea and Clark, while the new low-rise church, landscaping, setbacks, and a driveway along the west side would provide separation from neighbouring homes.

Looking east to 375 Clark Boulevard, designed by GSA Studio for Sandro Sordi

Rising 35 storeys and 124.1m, the residential building would comprise a U-shaped, nine-storey podium topped by an approximately 800m² tower floor-plate. With 39,450m² of Gross Floor Area, all residential, the project would have a Floor Space Index of 4.45 times coverage of the lot.

Site plan, designed by GSA Studio for Sandro Sordi

The building would contain 416 market-rate rental homes, comprising 227 one-bedroom, 176 two-bedroom, and 13 three-bedroom units. Six of the homes are planned as two-storey live-work units in the podium. Residents would have access to 820m² of indoor amenity space at ground level and on floors 3 and 10, along with 1,420m² of outdoor terraces across floors 3, 9, and 10. Seven elevators would serve the floors to the uppermost podium level, with three continuing up the tower, making for one elevator for every 60, indicating generally brief wait times.

Ground floor plan, designed by GSA Studio for Sandro Sordi

The replacement church would total approximately 600m² in GFA, divided between 230m² for the first and second floors and a 140m² mezzanine. It would be served by 40 surface parking spaces, including four accessible spaces, and share a Bramalea Road access with the residential component. The tower would provide 403 vehicle spaces across three underground and two above-grade parking levels, comprising 319 resident and 84 visitor spaces. Bicycle parking would total 376 spaces, divided between 334 long-term and 42 short-term spaces.

A high-angle view looking northwest to 375 Clark Boulevard, designed by GSA Studio for Sandro Sordi

The site is just outside the planned Bramalea Major Transit Station Area, approximately 660m from Bramalea Bus Terminal and 720m from transit service along Queen Street. Surface transit is available on both Bramalea Road and Clark Boulevard. Connections through Bramalea Bus Terminal provide access to Bramalea GO station.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Brampton

The proposal joins a growing pipeline of high-rise development proposals around Bramalea. To the southeast, 507 Balmoral Drive calls for three towers ranging from 10 to 45 storeys, while the Southgate Plaza redevelopment farther east would add four buildings of 10 to 20 storeys. Northwest, the 20-storey Chelsea Gardens is under construction amid proposals for four buildings of six to 22 storeys at 25 Kings Cross Road, the 30- and 33-storey Kings Cross Condos, and a 35-storey tower at 1707 Queen Street East. Farther west, plans include the 28-storey 2 & 4 Hanover Road, four towers ranging from 12 to 33 storeys at Bramalea City Centre, and the three-tower Bramalea Residences, which would rise from 20 to 55 storeys.

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News Roundup for September 4, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Doug Ford’s government rejected Toronto’s proposals to restore traffic lanes and keep bike lanes; service cuts coming to multiple GO Transit train lines, Ontario minister says it’s ‘temporary’; Toronto’s Rogers Stadium suffers storm damage; and other news.

Doug Ford’s government rejected Toronto’s proposals to restore traffic lanes and keep bike lanes: sources (The Star)

Service cuts coming to multiple GO Transit train lines, Ontario minister says it’s ‘temporary’ (CityNews)

Toronto’s Rogers Stadium suffers storm damage (The Globe and Mail)

How Ford government staff crafted answers on Ontario Science Centre snowstorm survival (Global News)

Niagara commuters frustrated by GO service cuts, persistent delays (CBC)

Olivia Chow unveils property tax pledge in re-election bid (The Star)

Weekend need-to-know: Final weekend of CNE brings the Air Show (CityNews)

Bayview Bay

Craig White — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

On Thursday morning, about 16 hours after the deluge, even as the Don River was basically within its banks again, parts of the Bayview Extension and Riverdale Park West remained underwater. While the new mouth of the Don and its spillway through the Port Lands were designed to drop water levels more quickly, Waterfront Toronto has always indicated that the new mouth would not prevent all future flooding events. If it hadn't been built though, we would now be staring at a larger bay up the Bayview Extension where one shouldn't be, but thanks to climate change, we're dealing with at an unpredictable frequency.

Looking south across the flooded Don Valley, less than a day after a deluge hit, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawc

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawc. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

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Glass-Block Cladding Climbing Peaks at KING Toronto

Anthony Teles — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:40:00 -0400

Cladding installation is well past halfway at KING Toronto, with its signature prefabricated glass-block panels now covering much of the terraced exterior and advancing toward the development's 'mountain peaks'. Since UrbanToronto’s last update in May, 2026, heritage restoration work has also begun to be revealed the development’s relationship with its retained heritage streetwall and new pedestrian routes. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group for Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT, the 16-storey mixed-use complex occupies much of the block between King and Wellington streets in the King-Spadina neighbourhood, east of Bathurst Street and north of The Well.

From across King Street West in August, 2026, a grid of translucent blocks, full-height glazing, and dark aluminum framing wraps the projecting bays, recessed terraces, and stepped upper volumes. Scattered plywood infill covers openings awaiting glazing or final cladding, including the future retail frontages at grade beside the retained brick buildings.

Looking southeast from King Street West to the advancing glass-block facade, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo

At the east end, a retained brick warehouse frontage remains mostly wrapped in white tarp, with extensive scaffolding and debris netting farther west. This section of the King Street frontage is reportedly planned to accommodate an INK Entertainment restaurant-bar.

Looking southwest to the retained heritage buildings at KING Toronto’s east end, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo

Along the south elevation, the enclosure has reached sections of the 11th floor, accentuating the deep recesses and cantilevered bays of the “peaks and valleys” massing. Prefabricated facade modules alternate with full-height glazing and open balcony apertures, while exposed concrete slabs, columns, and temporary edge protection remain across the upper terraces. The central three-storey breezeway frames a future pedestrian route between Wellington Street, the interior courtyard, and King Street, alongside perimeter fencing and a CAT excavator.

Looking north from Wellington Street to the south elevation and central breezeway, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo

Within the site, a breezeway passage shows how the building’s height recedes behind its pedestrian-scaled courtyard edges. Up close, translucent glass blocks frame projecting bays and balconies, paired with aluminum spandrel panels, window wall, and metal guards. Temporary plywood seals several openings pending the remaining finishing work, while green construction mesh screens heritage restoration activity opposite.

Looking south through the interior passage toward Wellington Street, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor nightstreak

Along King Street West, following the removal of hoarding, the newly exposed sidewalk frontage brings the Victorian warehouse facades back into view. White infill panels fitted between restored columns begin defining the retail bays at left while corresponding openings to the right remain unenclosed, exposing structural posts awaiting storefront glazing and finish panels. Above, the conserved red-brick elevations retain arched window heads, stone lintels and sills, decorative corbelling, and pronounced cornice lines, while white tarp wraps a section with ongoing work.

Looking south from King Street West to the restored heritage streetwall, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor karledice

A drone view from this month reveals the full topography of the cascading peaks and valleys, with enclosure stopping only a few storeys below the highest terraces. Two cranes serve the site, while construction hoists fill vertical slots on the inward-facing sides of the western and eastern peaks. On the central peak toward Wellington Street, deep planter boxes without adjoining resident doors feature drainage, further indicating permanent infrastructure for the trees and cascading vegetation depicted in the renderings.

A drone view looking southeast across KING Toronto’s peaks and valleys, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy

Once complete, KING Toronto will stand 57.6m and deliver 439 condominium units.

Looking south to KING Toronto, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) for Allied Properties REIT

* * *

Mixed-Use Future Sought for Wallace-Emerson Employment Lands

Anthony Teles — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:34:02 -0400

Bilnia Investments and Jushro Developments are seeking a standalone Official Plan Amendment for a 2.3-hectare former industrial property at 224-264 Wallace Avenue and 24-90 Ward Street in Toronto’s Junction-Wallace Emerson neighbourhood. The application seeks to replace the Core Employment Areas designation with Mixed Use Areas in Toronto's Official Plan, allowing residential intensification north of Lansdowne subway station and the planned Bloor-Lansdowne GO station. The lands are about half way from Bloor Street to Dupont Street and adjacent to the Bloor-Lansdowne GO and Lansdowne Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSAs) and partly within the Bloor GO PMTSA.

Looking northwest to the conceptual plan for 224-264 Wallace Avenue, by Bilnia Investments and Jushro Developments Ltd

The L-shaped assembly occupies the northwest corner of Wallace and Ward, extending west toward Campbell Avenue across the Davenport Diamond Greenway and elevated Barrie GO corridor. Its low-rise industrial buildings house various commercial uses amid similarly varied surroundings: two- and three-storey houses to the east, west, and south; apartment buildings immediately north; Campbell Avenue Park to the northwest; and, across Wallace, a two-storey commercial building.

Looking northwest to 224 Wallace Avenue, image from submission to City of Toronto

The property at 224 Wallace was listed on Toronto’s Heritage Register in 2005, while 258 Wallace and 80 Ward were recommended for listing in July, 2026. Colliers Development Services submitted the application to the City on the developers’ behalf in April, 2026, with ERA Architects advising on heritage conservation.

The amendment if approved would remove the lands from the Official Plan’s Employment Areas structure and permit three mixed-use blocks of mid- and high-rise development. The preliminary concept comprises approximately 1,246 homes of unspecified tenure across five residential components containing 441, 139, 574, 78, and 14 units. Its 94,616m² of Gross Floor Area, bringing a Floor Space Index of 4.13 times coverage of the lands, includes 80,813m² of residential GFA and 576m² of commercial space. Building heights and storey counts would be established through a future rezoning application.

Conceptual plan for 224-264 Wallace Avenue by Bilnia Investments and Jushro Developments Ltd

New residential buildings would be combined with adaptively reused industrial structures. The original four-storey Canadian General Electric Ward Street Works, built at 224 Wallace in 1920, and its water tower would be retained, along with the two-storey building at 258 Wallace; partial retention is contemplated at 80 Ward. Approximately 7,300m² of residentially compatible commercial and employment space would be secured at 224 and 258 Wallace, primarily in reused buildings and new bases, with office and commercial frontages animating Wallace Avenue and potentially facing the Davenport Diamond Greenway.

Looking northeast to the water tower, image from submission to City of Toronto

A Wallace Avenue market square would frame the water tower, while a parkette extending west from Ward Street would lead toward Campbell Avenue Park and the greenway. A north-south pedestrian mews between Wallace and Sarnia avenues would improve permeability and buffer new construction from nearby houses. A POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly Accessible Space) is planned near the northeast corner, along with potential connections between Rankin Court and Sarnia Avenue and between Antler Street and Lappin Avenue where the City is seeking to improve local pedestrian connections.

Looking southwest to 70-90 Ward Street, image retrieved from Google Maps

The site is approximately 425 to 500m from Lansdowne station on Bloor Line 2, about 800m from Bloor GO and UP Express station, and under 500m from the future Bloor-Lansdowne GO station on the Barrie line. Several TTC bus routes operate nearby, while cycling connections run along Dupont, Davenport, Bloor, and Lappin. Planned beneath and alongside the elevated tracks, the Davenport Diamond Greenway would connect the property to the future GO station, the West Toronto Railpath network, and the development’s new pedestrian routes.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

Nearby construction ranges from modest infill to high-rise intensification. The three-storey 211 Symington is under construction to the west and the four-storey 710 Lansdowne to the east. Farther northwest, the 26-storey 316 Junction is rising, while 29- and 39-storey towers are proposed at 323 Symington. To the south, the seven-storey Magellan Centre and seven-storey Catalyst at 77 Wade are under construction, alongside proposals for a 28-storey building at 1293 Bloor West and 31- and 35-storey towers at 1319 Bloor West. Northeast of the site, the Galleria on the Park master plan is taking shape with eight towers reaching up to 48 storeys.

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News Roundup for September 3, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Greater Toronto Area home sales down 2% in August, prices dip below $1 million; cleanup underway after severe GTA thunderstorm causes flooding, power outages; new poll finds Toronto viewed as one of Canada’s least safe cities; and other news.

Greater Toronto Area home sales down 2% in August, prices dip below $1 million: board (The Star)

Cleanup underway after severe GTA thunderstorm causes flooding, power outages (CBC)

New poll finds Toronto viewed as one of Canada’s least safe cities (CityNews)

Canada’s fixed mortgage rates surge higher as bond yields continue to rise (The Star)

TTC prepares for back-to-school (CityNews)

Toronto area home prices dip below $1 million in August for the first time since January (The Star)

Ontario to remove stretch of Toronto bike lane after recent court win (The Globe and Mail)

Post-Tempest

Craig White — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 01:00:00 -0400

Downtown Toronto appears unscathed in this photo, bathing in the afterglow of Wednesday's storm, but much of the city was hit far worse, and many homes won't have the power they need to see this story when it goes live early Wednesday. Trees are down, lines have snapped, golfball-sized hail fell, sections of subways and roadways flooded, some fires started. We hope anyone negatively affected will find things return to normal for them soon!

Looking north across the east side of Downtown Toronto following the storm of September 2, 2026, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor mburrrrr

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor mburrrrr. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

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Kipling Station Condos Tops Off Above Etobicoke’s Six Points

Anthony Teles — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:29:00 -0400

Since UrbanToronto’s last update in February, 2026, 50-storey Kipling Station Condos has topped off, its crane has been dismantled, and a colourful mural has been painted across the west face of its podium. Designed by B+H Architects for CentreCourt, the development rises north of Kipling station in Etobicoke’s intensifying Six Points neighbourhood, placing it steps from TTC subway and bus services, GO Transit, and MiWay bus connections.

In July, 2026, this drone view captured the 50-storey tower that had topped off in May, with its west elevation at left and south elevation at right. Charcoal-grey pre-finished aluminum panels, window wall glazing, and stacked projecting balconies climb to the exposed cast-in-place concrete mechanical penthouse, while the crane remained in place overhead. The three-storey podium, with a broad white-painted wall along its west elevation, awaited its artwork. Immediately to the west, Hydro One’s transmission towers, recently replaced, mark corridor upgrades associated with the utility's Etobicoke Greenway Project.

A drone view looking north to the topped-off tower and future mural wall at the podium, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Tim MacDonald

Earlier this month, work was underway on the multicoloured podium artwork when a painter, raised on an articulated boom lift, was caught applying a blue parallelogram. A faceted heart is found at the artwork's centre, surrounded by interlocking geometric fields of blue, pink, yellow, orange, green, and purple. Slender vertical window openings with dark mullions and louvres punctuate the painted surface, joined by larger mechanical ventilation grilles, while charcoal-toned aluminum panels cap the podium above.

Looking northeast to painting underway on the podium artwork, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118

Later this month, the completed artwork spanned much of the podium’s wet wall, where the central heart dissolves outward into layered chevrons and angular bands of colour, ending in concentric shades of blue. On the south elevation at right, a projecting volume across the second and third floors is framed in metal panels, with vivid orange soffits lining its recessed edges and inset balcony. Above, black-painted concrete columns define the recessed fourth-floor transfer level.

Looking west to the completed podium mural and projecting east elevation, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118

From across Dundas Street West and Aukland Road, the construction hoist remains attached to the tower’s northwest corner. Columns of projecting balconies articulate the north and west elevations, with glass guards, dark slab-edge covers, and black soffits. Below, the podium is largely enclosed in curtain wall glazing with dark mullions; its taller third storey incorporates inset balconies along the west face, with temporary fencing and staged materials at grade.

Looking southeast to the construction hoist, projecting balconies, and podium glazing, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Lachlan Holmes

Meanwhile, the completed podium mural anchors the west elevation behind Hydro One’s new lattice transmission tower and its web of overhead conductors. Above, alternating dark and light aluminum panels organize the tower’s narrow window wall bays into slender vertical strips, which shift laterally above the 11th and 25th floors to introduce two pronounced horizontal breaks in the otherwise rectilinear facade. The exposed concrete mechanical penthouse caps the topped-off structure, following the removal and dismantling of the crane.

Looking northeast to the completed mural and crane-free roofline of Kipling Station Condos, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Lachlan Holmes

Kipling Station Condos stands 159.6m tall and will deliver 563 condominium units.

Looking southeast to Kipling Station Condos, designed by B+H Architects for CentreCourt

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Six-Storey Boutique Hotel Proposed in Kensington Market

Anthony Teles — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:57:17 -0400

A Zoning By-law Amendment application has been submitted to the City of Toronto for a six-storey boutique hotel on Augusta Avenue in Kensington Market. Designed by Joel Gerber Architect for 1001216787 Ontario Inc, the proposal would replace two single-storey commercial buildings with a 43-room hotel along with restaurant, café, and retail spaces.

Looking northeast to 311 Augusta, designed by Joel Gerber Architect for 1001216787 Ontario Inc

The 462m² site encompasses 309 and 311 Augusta Avenue, on its east side between College and Oxford streets. It is currently occupied by two attached commercial buildings, one housing a laundromat while the other is vacant following the relocation of bicycle retailer Bikes on Wheels. The site is toward the north end of Kensington Market amid the neighbourhood’s mix of shops, restaurants, cafés, market businesses, and low-rise buildings, while the larger-scale commercial, institutional, educational, and health-related uses of College Street and Downtown Toronto are within walking distance.

Looking east to the current site, image from submission to City of Toronto

The proposal calls for a six-storey building covering 436m² of the lot, with a basement and a mezzanine above the top floor. Rising to 25.5m (more than double the site’s current 12m height limit), the hotel would maintain Augusta Avenue’s street wall across its first three storeys. The applicant’s heritage consultant, a+LiNK Architecture Inc, concluded that the design would not adversely affect the Kensington Market Heritage Conservation District or nearby contributing properties.

Site plan, designed by Joel Gerber Architect for 1001216787 Ontario Inc

The hotel's 43 guest rooms would comprise 28 standard rooms, six accessible deluxe rooms, six accessible family rooms, and three lofts. A Gross Floor Area of 2,967m² translates into a Floor Space Index of 4.75 times lot coverage.

Ground floor plan, designed by Joel Gerber Architect for 1001216787 Ontario Inc

At street level, a combined hotel reception and café counter would anchor a publicly accessible lobby and lounge, joined by flexible retail or branding space. An 85-seat dining room and kitchen facilities would occupy the basement, supporting 36 seats at grade and another 36-seat restaurant on the sixth floor. That upper dining room would open onto a west-facing terrace, while flexible amenity rooms on levels two and three could accommodate meetings or spa services. Storage, laundry, office, maintenance, and additional kitchen-support spaces would round out the program.

Looking southeast to 311 Augusta, designed by Joel Gerber Architect for 1001216787 Ontario Inc

With no underground garage planned, the basement would instead be devoted largely to dining, kitchen, waste, and servicing functions. Three long-term and five short-term bicycle spaces would be provided.

The site is a short walk south of the 506 College/Carlton streetcar, with the 510 Spadina route to the east and the 505 Dundas route to the south. Together, these surface routes connect with University Line 1 at Queen’s Park and St Patrick stations and Bloor Line 2 at Spadina and Dundas West stations. Cycling infrastructure includes the east–west lanes on College Street and the north–south Bellevue–Brunswick corridor.

A map of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

The proposal joins development activity ranging from low-rise additions to taller projects. Northwest, a five-storey addition is planned for the Planet Traveler Hostel, while six storeys are proposed at 452 Bathurst Street to the west. South and southeast of the site, the four-storey 35 Bellevue Avenue is under construction, and four storeys are proposed at 6 Nassau Street. Larger projects include the 16-storey proposal at 419 College Street, the 20-storey 333 College Street under construction to the north, and, further east, the proposed 10-storey Scott Mission redevelopment and 30-storey 243 College Street.

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News Roundup for September 2, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Doug Ford’s government is officially taking bids to remove 19 km of bike lanes from Toronto’s streets; accused of illegal tree-cutting again, multiplex developer faces 10th city investigation; transport minister says Metrolinx service cuts ‘temporary in nature’; and other news.

Doug Ford’s government is officially taking bids to remove 19 km of bike lanes from Toronto’s streets (The Star)

Accused of illegal tree-cutting again, multiplex developer faces 10th city investigation (CBC)

Transport minister says Metrolinx service cuts ‘temporary in nature’ (Global News)

Bank of Canada set to make 6th interest rate decision of the year (CityNews)

Cafe owner who fought to sell coffee on a residential street closes up shop (The Star)

Ofma Forma Form

Craig White — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

As Forma grows taller in Downtown Toronto, the branded, protective walls that seal off the newer floors from the weather have become split into sections where the tower is shifting from its first floor-plate layout to a second one. Framed in a way that disrupts some of the full names, this part of the building currently looks more like a Picasso during his cubist period than a Gehry work. With the new floor-plate coming together, may fully realign properly again soon!

Branded protective walls at the top of Forma devolve into as the tower grows, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor khaldoon

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor khaldoon. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

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Humber Lakeshore Campus Cultural Hub Phase 2 Construction Progresses

Anthony Teles — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 17:10:00 -0400

At Humber Polytechnic’s Lakeshore Campus in South Etobicoke, the Humber Cultural Hub is transforming the northwest corner of their site at 3199 Lake Shore Boulevard West, west of Kipling Avenue. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, its irregular footprint fits between older campus buildings and their athletics grounds, adding academic, residential, and cultural facilities for a student population that has more than doubled over the past decade. When UrbanToronto last covered the project in April, 2023, work focused on Phase 1’s hybrid structure: a concrete podium and deep steel transfer system supporting five storeys of mass-timber residence framing.

The eight-storey first phase opened in September, 2024, housing 336 student beds. Phase 2 has since progressed from the Spring 2025 demolition of Building A to structural-steel erection, enclosure, and glazing. The three-storey addition will contain a 500-seat Performance Hall, film studios, classrooms, a Comedy Cabaret, an Indigenous-themed classroom, and an informal interior amphitheatre. Its all-electric systems incorporate geothermal energy and rooftop solar generation.

A north-facing drone view from October, 2021 gives us a clear view of the campus at that time. Phase 1’s elongated footprint is emerging along the east side, with the second phase to rise on the left. Two cranes serve the site: steel framing rises beside the northern crane, while the southern crane overlooks an excavation containing concrete footings, foundation walls, and vertical structural elements. The six-storey residence fronting Lake Shore Boulevard stands beyond, with the parking lot to the west still largely intact.

A drone view looking north across early Phase 1 construction at the Humber Cultural Hub, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Tim MacDonald

In this west-facing drone shot from October, 2022, the cast-in-place concrete podium had reached three storeys, with part of the fourth level established at the north end and materials positioned for the floor above. Two concrete circulation cores project beyond the active deck, with temporary bracing supporting the first upper-storey elements. White and yellow weatherproofing layers mark the start of enclosure work along the east elevation, with prefabricated components staged at grade.

A drone view looking west across the rising concrete podium and upper structure of Phase 1, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Tim MacDonald

In September, 2024, the completed first phase rises at the end of a landscaped campus path connecting the Cultural Hub building to the majority of the Lakeshore Campus buildings. Pale metallic-panel cladding and staggered narrow windows wrap the residence, while muted podium accents and a prominent copper, vertically ribbed volume distinguish its base.

Looking west along a landscaped campus path toward the completed Phase 1 residence, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor MimicoMarauder

By April, 2025, three hydraulic excavators behind a gate were clearing Building A for Phase 2 on the west side of the site, consolidating crushed masonry, concrete, and reinforcement. Remaining concrete and brick walls mark the next demolition targets, while Phase 1’s pale metal cladding, vertical windows, glazed link, and patterned white podium panels form the backdrop.

Looking east across the demolition of Building A for Phase 2, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor MimicoMarauder

In September, 2025, Phase 2’s steel framing was coming together where column-free performance and film-production spaces would result. At left, deep girders, secondary beams, and diagonal cross-bracing form a three-storey volume. The adjoining structure steps down to two levels, with projecting columns ready for the next tier.

Looking southeast toward Phase 2’s rising long-span steel frame, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor MimicoMarauder

Last month, the copper-coloured wall signals the main entrance and its tall glazed bay.

Looking southwest toward the completed entrance and residence of Phase 1, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor FormerTorontonianBackInTO

Cladding of Phase 2's performance-hall has begun, its cut-corner projecting roof canopy standing out to the right. High-level ribbon windows and a full-height glazed section punctuate the enclosure, while the exposed canopy soffit awaits completion. Insulation boards and blue-and-white weatherproofing remain visible at right, with the final paving and landscaping still to come.

Looking southeast toward the advancing enclosure and projecting roof of Phase 2, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor FormerTorontonianBackInTO

The Humber Cultural Hub is targeted to open by Winter–Spring 2027 with full student use in Fall 2027.

Looking southwest to Humber College Lakeshore Campus Cultural Hub, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects for Humber College

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New Developer Replaces Design, Goes Rental at 35 Mabelle Near Islington Station

Anthony Teles — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:59:00 -0400

A Minor Variance application for 35 Mabelle Avenue in Etobicoke's Islington area would increase the height of an approved tower from 49 to 53 storeys while switching the building from condominiums to market-rate rental housing. North Edge Properties and an ownership group including Hereditary Holdings Limited and 1583617 Ontario Limited have replaced Tribute Communities, while the new design comes from Kohn Partnership Architects. The proposal would rise within a growing cluster of high-rises across the CPKC Milton rail corridor from Islington subway station.

Axonometric perspective looking east to 35 Mabelle Avenue, designed by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc for North Edge Properties

The approximately 0.46-hectare site is on the south side of Mabelle Avenue, west of Islington Avenue and south of Dundas Street West. Although the application retains the address 25 Mabelle Avenue with an existing slab-style 30-storey apartment tower on it, a severance created a new development parcel at 35 Mabelle Avenue on the currently vacant western portion of the site. Adjacent to the southwest is another high-rise residential building at 41 Mabelle, with more towers nearby, placing 35 Mabelle among the street's tower-in-the-park style sites, others of which have been intensified with other new infill towers in recent years. The area is within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and services along both Bloor and Dundas streets.

Looking east to the current site, image retrieved from Google Maps

Plans for the vacant part of the 25 Mabelle property date to December, 2018, when a Zoning By-law Amendment application proposed a 55-storey, 176m tower with 606 condominiums and 817m² of retail. The +VG Architects’ concept was reworked by BDP Quadrangle in November, 2019 as a 49-storey, 159m building with 486 condominiums and 154m² of retail. The reduction was intended partly to limit shadowing on the Etobicoke Collegiate Institute field, while revisions to the base, circulation, landscaping, and underground garage sought to retain more mature trees. The Ontario Land Tribunal approved the zoning application in November, 2021.

Previous plan from January, 2019, designed by +VG ArchitectsPrevious plan from November, 2019, designed by BDP Quadrangle

A Site Plan Application submitted in September, 2022 retained 49 storeys but increased the unit count to 580 suites from 486. After the May, 2023 severance of the property, a dispute arose between the prospective purchaser and registered owners over the parcel and authority to advance the application. In October, 2025, the Tribunal adjourned the resulting Site Plan appeal indefinitely pending related Superior Court litigation. The latest plans instead seek variances for a 53-storey, 685-unit rental tower. MHBC Planning has submitted the Minor Variance application to the City of Toronto on behalf of the developers.

Looking east to the 2022 plan, designed by BDP Quadrangle for Tribute Communities

The redesign places a stepped base along Mabelle Avenue and the tower toward the south side of the parcel. At 166.5m, its 53 storeys would stand just 7.5m taller than the 49-storey, 159.05m scheme owing to shorter floor-to-floor heights. Its 685 market-rate rentals comprise 410 one-bedroom, 207 two-bedroom, and 68 three-bedroom units.

Site plan, designed by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc for North Edge Properties

Gross Floor Area would rise by 5,505m², from 39,610m² to 45,115m², increasing the Floor Space Index from 8.69 to 9.89 times coverage of the 4,561m² site. While the former program included 79m² of retail space, the resubmission is entirely residential, removing the commercial component while adding 105 homes. Floors 6 through 8 with a mid-rise podium section would have 1,239m² floor-plates, dropping to 845m² at floor 9 and 829m² from floors 10 through 53. These exceed the zoning limits of 825m² for floors 6 through 19 and 780m² for floor 20 and above, though the tower would still have 25m of separation from the existing 30-storey 25 Mabelle building.

Axonometric perspective looking north to 35 Mabelle Avenue, designed by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc for North Edge Properties

Residents would have access to 2,806m² of amenity space: 1,434m² indoors and 1,372m² outdoors, distributed at grade and on floors 6 and 9. Five elevators would provide a ratio of one per 137 units, indicating high-speed motors would be required to provide acceptable wait times when all elevators are operational. The five-level underground garage would contain 383 spaces (25 fewer than before) comprising 315 resident spaces (11 of which would be accessible), and 68 visitor spaces (three of which would be accessible). Bicycle parking would increase by 80 spaces, from 436 to 516, comprising 467 long-term and 49 short-term spaces.

Ground floor plan, designed by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc for North Edge Properties

Separated from Islington station by the rail corridor, the site is a few minutes' walk from the Bloor Line 2 transit hub, although TTC bus stops on Mabelle and Cordova avenues offer shorter walking distances. Cycling infrastructure includes an off-road trail through Tom Riley Park, a north–south route on Royal York Road, and an east–west bikeway along part of Bloor Street West. City plans identify a future Bloor extension east of the site and further study westward.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image retrieved from Google Maps

The proposal joins extensive infill development projects and proposals around Islington station. Northwest, the 26-storey 12 Cordova is under construction, and 4975 Dundas Street West is proposed at 44 storeys. To the north, 1276 Islington Avenue would rise 35 storeys. South of the rail corridor are the proposed 18-storey Verve Bloor and four towers ranging from 32 to 55 storeys at 3326 Bloor Street West. To the east, 1243 Islington Avenue is proposed at 61 storeys.

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Tunnels, Transit, and Towers Led August’s Headlines

Anthony Teles — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:34:02 -0400

August, 2026 brought major transit construction, ambitious development proposals, and continued progress to Toronto’s skyline. Work on the Eglinton Line 5 West Extension and Ontario Line 3 featured prominently at the same time that discussion swirled around the performance of recently opened Line 6 and the first part of Line 5, while proposals at the Canada Life Campus, York Mills Centre, and the University of Toronto promised new homes across the city. Toronto’s tallest and most closely watched towers continued to lead the Database and Forum rankings, with Pinnacle One Yonge claiming the top spot on both lists as crane removal began at Canada’s tallest building.

Let’s review our top news stories, Database files, and Forum threads from August, 2026.

Our Top Ten Most Read News Stories

Transit infrastructure featured heavily among August’s most-read stories, with the Eglinton Line 5 West Extension, Ontario Line 3, and Exhibition station joined by closer looks at connections in the west end and the long-awaited Park Lawn GO station. Major development proposals at the Canada Life Campus and on the University of Toronto’s St George campus also drew readers’ attention, while the beginning of crane removal at SkyTower claimed the top spot.

11. Two Towers Up to 55 Storeys Proposed at York Mills and Yonge

10. Final Tunnel Segment for Eglinton Line 5 West Extension Fully Mined

9. SmartCentres Switches to Office Proposal at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre

8. Zoning for Towers Up To 71 Storeys Sought for Canada Life Campus

7. West End Connections: Construction Updates on Transit and Trails

6. Toronto’s Development-Infrastructure Gap: The Saga of Park Lawn GO

5. Contract Awarded for Ontario Line Pape Tunnel and Underground Stations

4. 41-Storey Rental Tower Proposed to Cantilever Over Heritage Church on Bathurst

3. Ontario Line 3 and GO Expansion Transforming Exhibition Station

2. Freshly Redesigned U of T Residences to Bring 1,200 Beds to St George Campus

1. Crane Coming Down As Glass Parapet Ends Pinnacle SkyTower Cladding

Looking southeast to SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor mburrrrr

Our Top Ten Busiest Threads

Toronto’s tallest towers continued to dominate the Top 10, with six major developments making the list and Pinnacle One Yonge holding onto first place as work advanced around SkyTower mechanical section. Transit also remained a major focus, led by Ontario Line 3, while the Eglinton Line 5, Finch West Line 6 LRT, and Hurontario-Main Line 10 LRT figured highly as construction progress and the project’s timeline continued to generate discussion.

11. Hurontario-Main Line 10 LRT

10. CIBC SQUARE

9. Finch West Line 6 LRT

8. KING Toronto

7. Concord Sky

6. Forma

5. Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT

4. Ookwemin Minising

3. One Bloor West

2. Ontario Line 3

1. Pinnacle One Yonge

Our Top Ten Most Searched Database Files

Toronto’s tallest and most closely watched developments continued to lead the Database rankings, with Pinnacle One Yonge and One Bloor West holding onto the top two spots as Forma, Concord Sky, and KING Toronto moved up the list. The Pemberton and Natasha Residences were August’s newcomers, while waterfront projects remained prominent through Pinnacle Lakeside and Ookwemin Minising.

11. 49 Ontario Street

10. The Pemberton

9. Natasha Residences

8. 1 Marlborough

7. Ookwemin Minising

6. Pinnacle Lakeside (Phase 1)

5. KING Toronto

4. Concord Sky

3. Forma

2. One Bloor West

1. Pinnacle One Yonge

Looking northeast to One Bloor West's crown, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor jer1961

We will be back at the beginning of October for a recap of September's top news stories, Database files, and Forum threads.

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Pathetic Falsity

Craig White — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

Storm clouds over Lake Ontario have delivered some recent jolts and other surprises, and there may be further rough water in the forecast, but with some saner heads weighing in, sunnier days should ultimately prevail in the end.

Storm clouds over Lake Ontario deliver a bolt of lightning to South Etobicoke, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawc

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Highland Commons Wraps Up as 1650 Military Trail Gets Underway

Anthony Teles — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:44:15 -0400

Along Military Trail in eastern Scarborough, Altree Developments is wrapping up Highland Commons, as construction is well underway on the other side of the road at 1650 Military Trail. Both developments are designed by Kohn Partnership Architects: Highland Commons comprises two eight-storey condominium buildings at Military Trail and Kingston Road in Port Union; while 1650 Military Trail is an eight-storey purpose-built student rental residence at Military Trail and Morrish Road in Highland Creek.

In May, Highland Commons’ topped-off east (left) and west (right) buildings, approaching completion, with glazing and red-brick and charcoal-grey cladding largely installed. Bands of light- and dark-blue weatherproofing remain exposed on the west building, particularly around inset balconies and lower-level openings. Glass guards, dark-framed windows, and more extensively glazed upper-storey step-backs are also in place, with temporary fencing and equipment lining Military Trail.

Looking southeast toward the topped-off east and west buildings of Highland Commons, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor CLT

In June, the west building presents its east elevation at left and north elevation at right. Projecting red-brick bays frame recessed balconies and dark-framed punched windows, while light-grey precast bands and charcoal panels articulate the base, slab edges, and central vertical sections. Broad ground-floor glazing contrasts with the masonry above, and window wall and glass balcony guards enclose the stepped-back upper levels. Most weatherproofing is concealed, with small areas remaining around ground-floor openings on the north elevation.

Looking southwest toward the nearly completed west building, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor christiesplits

By July, both buildings appear substantially complete, their exterior envelopes finished in red brick, charcoal panels, and glazing. Two articulating boom lifts stand along Military Trail beside a truck-mounted telescopic crane with its boom extended above the site.

Looking southeast toward facade finishing work, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor CLT

That month, excavation is well advanced at 1650 Military Trail for its two-level underground garage. Perimeter shoring retains the deep pit, while mesh barriers, guardrails, and temporary fencing secure the work zone. A scaffold access tower rises above the east end toward Kingston Road.

Looking northeast across the two-level excavation at 1650 Military Trail, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor CLT

This month, Highland Commons’ east building meets Kingston Road with brown and lighter-red brick above a ground-floor treatment of grey brick and charcoal panels. Floor-to-ceiling glazing with black mullions defines the base and corner volume, with metal louvres screening select sections of window wall. New concrete sidewalks and curbs are largely complete; traffic barrels mark remaining work, and fresh topsoil awaits final landscaping.

Looking southwest along the Kingston Road frontage of Highland Commons’ east building, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor flonicky

The south elevations reveal U-shaped massing opening toward the adjacent valley, with the west building enclosing a landscaped courtyard and the east building beyond at left. Grey metal panels and window wall define the inward-facing wings, animated by stacked projecting concrete balconies with glass guards. Terraced step-backs create additional outdoor space, while paving, raised planters, trees, and flowering beds show the courtyard taking shape below.

Looking northwest into the landscaped courtyard between Highland Commons’ south-facing wings, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor flonicky

Across the street from earlier this month, a newly erected white tower crane stands at the north end of 1650 Military Trail.

Looking west toward the newly installed tower crane, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor flonicky

Below-grade construction is advancing, with the P1 floor slab poured and red formwork assembled for reinforced-concrete walls and columns. Completed wall sections appear toward the west end, while clusters of vertical rebar project above them to grade; the nearly complete Highland Commons rises in the background at left.

Looking northwest across P1-level concrete work, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor flonicky

Highland Commons stands 32.5m and will contain 539 condominium units, while 1650 Military Trail is planned to rise 31.9m with 101 student rental units.

Looking west to Highland Commons, Toronto, designed by Kohn Partnership Architects for Altree DevelopmentsLooking northwest to 1650 Military Trail, designed by Kohn Partnership Architects for Altree Developments

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Wittington Unveils District-Scale Vision for Yonge and St Clair

Anthony Teles — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:00:17 -0400

Two proposals facing each other across Yonge Street could reshape the north side of Yonge and St Clair in Toronto’s Deer Park neighbourhood. Proceeding through separate applications but conceived as a district-scale vision, they pair Wittington Properties and Choice Properties REIT’s St Clair Square with Wittington’s replacement of Delisle Court. The east-side plan combines three mixed-use towers, retail, a public square, a park, and a connection to St Clair station; the west-side proposal is a cultural venue with a performance hall, flexible event spaces, and a café.

Looking southeast to St Clair Square, Kohn Peterson Fox Associates and Herzog & de Meuron Architekten for Wittington Properties Limited and Choice Properties REIT

St Clair Square has evolved from the three-tower scheme filed in 2019. The latest City submission shows towers up to 49 storeys by Kohn Pedersen Fox and Adamson Associates, while a newer vision revealed by Alex Bozikovic in The Globe and Mail describes buildings of 24, 37, and 46 storeys, with Herzog & de Meuron designing the shortest and KPF the other two. Across Yonge, Omar Gandhi Architects is leading the latest Delisle Court design, with Adamson as Architect of Record. Future submissions may revise the heights and design roles. St Clair Square could also become Herzog & de Meuron’s first realized Toronto project, with its previously planned 1200 Bay tower apparently no longer advancing.

Looking south to 1560 Yonge Street (AI generated), designed by Adamson Associates Architects for Wittington Properties Limited

St Clair Square covers 13,688m² at 1481–1535 Yonge Street, 1–31 Heath Street East, and 30–36 Alvin Avenue. Occupying the northern two-thirds of the block northeast of Yonge and St Clair, it contains low-rise shops, houses, a 30-unit apartment building, and two Toronto Parking Authority lots with about 222 spaces. Office and commercial buildings at the south end, including entrances to St Clair station, would remain. Demolition permits were issued for 1535 Yonge in June, 2025 and 1525 and 1521 Yonge in July, 2026, with no others identified within the project area.

Looking southeast to the current site for St Clair Square, image retrieved from Google Maps

Across the street, 1560–1568 Yonge and 1 Heath Street West comprise a roughly 3,164m² development area containing the two-storey Delisle Court and a converted 2½-storey house. The broader 3,963m² property includes a service corridor shared with the 15-storey condominium at 10 Delisle Avenue, which would remain operational.

Looking southwest to the current site for 1560 Yonge Street, image retrieved from Google Maps

Earlier zoning for St Clair Square (previously St Clair Place), approved in 2008, permitted 470 homes. An April, 2019 application designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects expanded this to three towers, 1,357 units, and 27,700m² of non-residential space. Council approved a revised master plan in July, 2022, followed in December, 2025 by variances shifting density from an Alvin Avenue mid-rise to the tallest tower without increasing total floor area. At Delisle Court, eight variances filed in March, 2026 were refused after attracting about 50 opposition letters, primarily from 10 Delisle residents; the decision is under appeal at the Toronto Local Appeal Body. Bousfields has submitted the Minor Variance application for 1560 Yonge and the Site Plan Control application for St Clair Square on behalf of the developers.

Previous plan for St Clair Place, Toronto, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects for Wittington Properties

St Clair Square would have a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 7.5 and 103,163m² of Gross Floor Area (GFA): 87,536m² residential and 15,628m² commercial. Its 661 homes would comprise 366 market-rate rentals and 295 condominiums: eight studios, 301 one-bedrooms, 255 two-bedrooms, and 97 units with three or more bedrooms. The City submission distributes them among 26-, 36-, and 49-storey towers reaching 102.3m, 138.5m, and 188.53m. Tower 1 would contain 366 rentals, while Towers 2 and 3 would hold 221 and 74 condominiums. Towers 1 and 2 would share a podium bisected by a route from Alvin Avenue; standalone Tower 3 connects to Tower 1 by an enclosed bridge. The Globe’s newer scheme instead has 24-, 37-, and 46-storey towers, including 72 large condominiums in the Herzog & de Meuron building.

Site plan, St Clair Square, Kohn Peterson Fox Associates and Herzog & de Meuron Architekten for Wittington Properties Limited and Choice Properties REIT

The towers would frame a publicly accessible plaza linked to Yonge, Alvin, and St Clair station, with a roughly 1,560m² public park at the northwest corner. Retail, restaurants, wellness uses, and residential lobbies would animate the pedestrianized ground level. Residents would receive 2,247m² of indoor and 1,648m² of outdoor amenities.

Looking southeast to the plaza, St Clair Square, Kohn Peterson Fox Associates and Herzog & de Meuron Architekten for Wittington Properties Limited and Choice Properties REIT

Tower 1 would have four elevators, about one per 92 units; Tower 2 would contain three, one per 74; and Tower 3 would house two, one per 37. Three underground levels would contain loading, pick-up/drop-off facilities, and 551 parking spaces (532 residential and 19 retail). The 829 bicycle spaces would comprise 599 long-term and 136 short-term residential spaces, 32 long-term and 50 short-term retail spaces, plus 12 covered spaces. Wittington reportedly targets a 2027 construction start, with the complex built concurrently.

Ground floor plan, St Clair Square, Kohn Peterson Fox Associates and Herzog & de Meuron Architekten for Wittington Properties Limited and Choice Properties REIT

The Delisle Court replacement is listed as three storeys and 24.11m, with an FSI of 1.9 and 6,016m² of GFA: 4,913m² institutional and 1,103m² commercial. Planning documents describe four functional levels, including a mechanical mezzanine, stepping from four storeys at Heath to three along Delisle. Community and multipurpose rooms would occupy the first two levels; the setback mezzanine would allow landscaping or a green roof, and the fourth level could open to a terrace. Omar Gandhi’s latest design centres on a flexible, approximately 300-seat hall for music, theatre, and other events. A café would face Yonge, and Wittington is exploring a relocated Deer Park library branch, though no agreement exists. An independent not-for-profit would operate the venue.

Site plan, 1560 Yonge Street, designed by Adamson Associates Architects for Wittington Properties Limited

St Clair Square is about 350m, or five minutes, from St Clair station on Yonge Line 1, while Delisle Court is roughly 160m, or three minutes away. The area is served by the 512 St Clair streetcar, 74 and 88 buses, and the 97 Yonge bus. Yonge’s protected cycle tracks run from Davisville to Bloor, with additional connections along Balmoral and Rosehill avenues and the Beltline trail.

An aerial view of the site for St Clair Square and the surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

The projects join extensive nearby growth. The 44-storey One Delisle is under construction, while 37- and 39-storey towers are proposed at 59–81 Lawton Boulevard. South of St Clair are the 34-storey The Clair, 49-storey 1 St Clair West, 50-storey The Hill Condos, 51-storey 45 St Clair West and The Notable, and 52-storey 8 Rosehill.

* * *

News Roundup for August 31, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Hazel McCallion LRT struggled with liquidity, design and ‘quality of work performed’; a look at life on the Toronto Island waitlist and inside one man’s 13-year quest to score a coveted home; voting to begin in federal byelections in Toronto, Vancouver and Chicoutimi ridings; and other news.

Hazel McCallion LRT struggled with liquidity, design and ‘quality of work performed’ (Global News)

Life on the Toronto Island waitlist: Inside one man’s 13-year quest to score a coveted home (The Star)

Voting to begin in federal byelections in Toronto, Vancouver and Chicoutimi ridings (CityNews)

A massive new development is coming to Prince Edward County that could change it forever (The Star)

Bank of Canada set to grapple with renewed trade war pressures in rate decision (CityNews)

Opinion: Why no jets will fly out of an expanded Billy Bishop airport (The Star)

Dispersal

Craig White — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 06:00:00 -0400

At 185 metres tall, the chimney stack at Toronto's Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant disperses what little emissions are left, high above Lake Ontario, after the involved process of treating wastewater for 1.4 million of the city's inhabitants has been completed. Dealing with about 818 million litres of wastewater a day, organic solids and stabilized biosolids have already been removed to create biofuel and fertilizer respectively before minimal uncapturable remains exit the stack. While looking a little weatherbeaten, the stack is full of up-to-date tech thanks to the City's ongoing 10-year, $2 billion plan to upgrade our wastewater and stormwater facilities.

The top of the chimney at the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant in Toronto rises over Lake Ontario, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor hawc

* * *

Two Towers Up to 55 Storeys Proposed at York Mills and Yonge

Anthony Teles — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 14:50:09 -0400

SVEC Group is seeking rezoning to replace office space on the eastern portion of York Mills Centre with a new mixed-use podium supporting 40- and 55-storey towers with condominium suites, market-rate rentals, and retail. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for 20 and 36 York Mills Road, the project would be directly connected to York Mills station, and is the tallest proposal in an area of limited development activity in northern Toronto. The renderings do not represent the project’s eventual architectural expression, but are placeholders meant to illustrate the proposed massing.

Looking northeast to York Mills Centre Redevelopment, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SVEC Group

The 8,723m² site forms part of a 2.63-hectare property spanning 10, 20, and 36 York Mills Road and 4025 and 4101 Yonge Street at the northeast corner of the two streets. The existing complex comprises four conjoined mid-rise office buildings and a central retail component with shopping, services, dining, and fitness uses that integrates the subway station and bus terminal. The redevelopment portion of the site contains two conjoined five-to-seven-storey office and service-commercial buildings, including a daycare. Nestled below the residential tablelands of the St Andrews neighbourhood, it sits in Hoggs Hollow in the Don River valley. Mid-rise office and residential buildings line and York Mills Road nearby.

Existing building on the north side of York Mills Road east of Yonge, image via Apple Maps

A 2021 site plan application was limited to reconfiguring the TTC entrance and adding a passenger pick-up and drop-off area. Now, Bousfields has submitted Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to the City of Toronto on behalf of the developer.

The plan would demolish 36 York Mills Road and all but 482m² of 20 York Mills Road, retaining that portion as an internal link to the existing retail complex. A shared eight-storey podium would support the 40-storey, 138.55m tower to the east and the 55-storey, 182.2m tower to the west. The project’s Gross Floor Area of 85,220m² would comprise 82,336m² of residential and 2,884m² of retail space, yielding a Floor Space Index of 9.77 times coverage of the development site, but an FSI of just 3.24 times coverage when considered across all of the York Mills Centre complex. The east tower would contain 267 market-rate rentals, while the west tower would have 636 condominiums, for 903 homes overall: 60 studios, 426 one-bedrooms, 326 two-bedrooms, and 91 three-bedrooms.

Looking northeast to the podium, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SVEC Group

A seven-storey streetwall would line York Mills Road. The staggered towers would differ in height and form; the east tower would stand approximately 50.1m from the nearest identified York Ridge Road home, compared with 61.8m for the west tower, while a 30m separation would divide the towers. The east tower’s floorplate would be roughly 750m²; the other would average about 800m² through its sculpted lower section before narrowing to approximately 771m² above the 20th floor.

Site plan, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SVEC Group

The ground floor would contain retail and commercial units. Level 2 would add retail connected internally to 4025 Yonge Street, a residential lobby, an eight-vehicle pick-up and drop-off loop, and the east tower’s amenity spaces. Parking would occupy the central and eastern portions of floors 3 through 5, screened from York Mills Road and lined with residential units to the east, while the west tower would have amenity areas on floors 6 and 9. The project proposes 1,967m² of indoor and 1,994m² of outdoor amenity space. Nine residential elevators (four in one tower and five in the other) would provide approximately one lift per 100 homes, joined by two retail elevators.

Ground floor plan, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SVEC Group

The site is within lands governed by Toronto’s Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law and therefore within the Natural Heritage System, a TRCA-regulated area. Although the building would remain largely within the existing developed footprint, parts of the driveway, loading access, retaining wall, and drainage works would extend beyond it. An Official Plan Amendment is therefore required to reduce the prescribed setback from the valley’s long-term stable toe-of-slope.

A high-angle view looking north to York Mills Centre Redevelopment, Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SVEC Group

The plans include two reconstructed underground garage levels and three new above-grade levels. There would be 612 vehicular parking spaces, entailing 479 residential and 133 visitor spots. The site would also have 692 bicycle spaces: 616 long-term and 64 short-term residential spaces, plus four long-term and eight short-term retail spaces. Another 10 public spaces would line York Mills Road.

The development would retain internal access to Yonge Line 1 and the on-site TTC and GO bus terminals, with the subway platforms, terminals, and access routes continuing to operate. Surface service multiple TTC routes, while GO buses connect toward Guelph, Brampton, and Oshawa. Cycling infrastructure is more limited: multi-use trails run through Joey Miller Park and York Mills Valley Park southwest of Yonge and York Mills.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

Nearby development remains limited. An 11-storey project is proposed at 4155 Yonge Street to the north, while Yonge City Square Residences is under construction to the west with 14- and 32-storey towers.

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Ontario Line 3 and GO Expansion Transforming Exhibition Station

Nolan Xuereb — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:26:22 -0400

Exhibition station, on the doorstep of Toronto's Liberty Village, is in the midst of an unprecedented transformation, as work continues to turn the once-modest rail stop into a major interchange. Set to host the western terminus of Ontario Line 3 alongside electrified, more-frequent service on GO Transit's Lakeshore West Line, Exhibition station will serve as a downtown "shoulder station," relieving ever-growing capacity concerns at Union Station.

Looking north over Exhibition station and Liberty Village as the web of steel V columns that will eventually support the multi-level station are erected, August 17, 2026, image courtesy of UrbanToronto forum contributor kotsy

Wedged between the CNE-hosting Exhibition Grounds and ever-denser Liberty Village, Exhibition station has served passengers for over a century, with its most recent iteration built in 1968 for the launch of GO Transit. Featuring two local and two express tracks, the station long relied on two side platforms to allow local Lakeshore West GO trains to serve the surrounding entertainment, employment, and residential areas.

Looking east over Exhibition station shortly after the start of construction in May 2023, with the original alignment of the rail corridor, and two passenger platforms still in place, image courtesy of UrbanToronto forum contributor kotsy

The 2019 announcement of the Ontario Line — which took the plans for the long-contemplated Downtown Relief Line and moved its western terminus at University Avenue three stops further west to Exhibition station — triggered a wholesale reconstruction of the long-unchanged GO stop, requiring a major widening of the station footprint through the expropriation of commercial properties immediately to the north. With this expanded right-of-way, each of the four tracks along the Lakeshore West GO corridor could be realigned to accommodate two new island platforms and, crucially, a new surface subway platform to serve as the western terminus of Ontario Line 3.

A diagram of the under-construction station, featuring a widened mainline rail corridor and new Ontario Line 3 platforms and trackage, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Overtop of this new multi-modal interchange would be a multi-storey trainshed, sheltering waiting passengers from inclement weather while also serving as a major new architectural feature in the area.

A rendering looking east from the Gardiner Expressway over the planned station shed currently under-construction, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Following years of planning and property expropriation, heavy construction got underway at Exhibition station in early 2024. In the two-plus years since, the over eight-acre site has undergone a dramatic transformation, though the new multimodal hub remains far from finished.

In the June, 2026 drone photo below, the four tracks along the Lakeshore West GO corridor have been realigned, with the concrete structures for the two new island platforms rapidly taking shape. Above them, the early skeleton of the expansive train shed is beginning to emerge, framed by striking V-shaped steel columns that stand out against the surrounding landscape in a fresh coat of white paint.

Looking east along under-construction Exhibition station, hugged to the south by the Gardiner Expressway and the north by Liberty Village, June 12, 2026, image courtesy of UrbanToronto forum contributor ProjectEnd

To the north of the shifted mainline rail corridor, work on the tunnel portal and eventual track alignment for Ontario Line 3 has also made significant progress. The trenched portal—which starts west of Strachan Avenue near the foot of Pirandello Street and stretches over 500 metres further west to the station's entrance at Atlantic Avenue—has been fully excavated, with its reinforcing walls complete.

Looking east along the launch shaft from where two of the projects TBMs were recently deployed, August 25, 2026, image courtesy of UrbanToronto forum contributor spaced

Crucially, this past April, the tunnel portal served as the launch point for the two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will excavate Ontario Line 3's alignment under Downtown Toronto. Running northeast from Strachan Avenue to Queen Street, the machines have begun the process of tunnelling under King West, Queen West, the Financial District, and Moss Park, before they will swing southeast to their extraction portal beside Metrolinx's Don Yard south of Corktown.

A TBM cutter head before being inserted into it's tunnel portal, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

Once the tunnel portal trench is capped and station works progress past the current phase of gargantuan earthworks and construction, land currently used for construction staging will be be able to be repurposed to benefit the surrounding neighbourhood's road network: while primarily a mass-transit project, the reconstruction of Exhibition station will ultimately yield a new street running along the area's southern boundary. Temporarily dubbed "Liberty New Street", this collector road will extend from Dufferin Street to Strachan Avenue, delivering a long-overdue second east-west corridor to relieve chronic congestion in Liberty Village.

A rendering looking west along "Liberty New Street" and the future northern entrance to Exhibition Station, image courtesy of Metrolinx

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on Exhibition station, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversations in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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News Roundup for August 28, 2026

UrbanToronto Staff — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:30:00 -0400

Toronto real estate market could see fall pickup, but buyers still cautious amid economic uncertainty; a look at why Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs have Toronto’s mayoral rivals clashing over taxes; Metrolinx hikes penalties for fare evasion to $200 and higher; and other news.

Toronto real estate market could see fall pickup, but buyers still cautious amid economic uncertainty: experts (CBC)

Why Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs have Toronto’s mayoral rivals clashing over taxes (The Star)

Metrolinx hikes penalties for fare evasion to $200 and higher (Global News)

Developer accused of cutting down trees, throwing fruit at neighbours (CityNews)

Comedian Mike Myers breaks into ‘kinda chic’ dance moves at a TTC subway station (The Star)

Weekend need-to-know: Fan Expo takes over Toronto (CityNews)

One Bloor Drama

Craig White — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 06:00:00 -0400

On a dramatically cloudy July evening, the day's last sunlight bounces off both One Bloor West, under construction at the centre of the shot, and One Bloor East just to its right.

The day's last sunlight reflects off of both One Bloor West and One Bloor East, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy

This image comes to us courtesy of UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy. Want to see your work featured as a Daily Photo? You can post in the City Photos & Videos section of the UrbanToronto Forum, or submit your images to our UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page.

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Crane Coming Down As Glass Parapet Ends Pinnacle SkyTower Cladding

Anthony Teles — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:50:05 -0400

Nine months after UrbanToronto documented Pinnacle International's SkyTower both crossing the 300m ‘supertall’ threshold and hitting the 100-storey mark in November 2025, cladding around the mechanical penthouse has left the tower with a short glass parapet around its perimeter. The tower terminates without the full-height crown enclosure designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and depicted in earlier renderings, leaving much of the bare concrete structure and Building Maintenance Unit (BMU) exposed at the summit. Canada’s tallest building rises 106 storeys as the second phase of the Pinnacle One Yonge mixed-use community at Yonge Street and Lake Shore Boulevard on Toronto’s downtown waterfront.

Earlier this month, a drone view shows the curtain wall and white vertical fins largely complete at the uppermost levels, except along the east elevation where the construction hoist is attached. The crane stands on the west side, while the roof hosts the BMU, the Tuned Mass Damper chamber, other mechanical equipment, and staged materials. At this point, fencing still lined the roofline, leaving the upper concrete volume visible around the elevator overrun and BMU.

A drone view looking northwest over rooftop cladding and the exposed mechanical penthouse, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy

Across the upper roof, the final unitized curtain wall sections stand in timber transport racks behind temporary perimeter guardrails. The prefabricated assemblies pair dark-tinted glazing with black aluminum framing, continuing the broad glazed bays, projecting white fins, and faceted corner panels below. Blue weatherproofing remains exposed along portions of the slab edge.

A drone view looking south to curtain wall panels staged around the upper roof, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor kotsy

A close-up captures final detailing beside the hoist, where blue-tinted glass guards line the rooftop edge above the completed curtain wall. At right, a compact rooftop crane assists a crew member guiding a narrow white metal closure panel between the guard glazing and a projecting fin.

Looking southwest to rooftop guard glazing installation beside the construction hoist, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor mburrrrr

A few days later, the crane has begun to dismantle itself, with the shortened jib and climbing assembly lowered to roughly the roofline. Crew members stand atop the mechanical levels near the hoist, whose run interrupts the otherwise continuous envelope with exposed slab edges, concrete columns, temporary platforms, and localized openings.

Looking west as the tower crane is lowered to the roofline, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor mburrrrr

At grade, removed lattice mast sections stand in a fenced laydown area at the Yonge Street and Lake Shore Boulevard intersection.

Looking southeast from Yonge Street to dismantled crane sections at Lake Shore Boulevard, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor mburrrrr

The next day, the lattice jib was below the roofline. SkyTower’s twelve-sided envelope combines blue-grey reflective glazing, slender dark mullions, and white fins that rise along its chamfered elevations before angling inward with the taper. A recessed stack of balconies with glazed guards marks the southeast corner, while rooftop guards trace the upper edge below the concrete mechanical section.

Looking southwest as the tower crane descends below SkyTower’s roofline, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor skycandy

Most recently, the slewing assembly and jib descend below the uppermost white horizontal accent bands, as the crane casts a shadow across the reflective glazing.

Looking northeast to the crane’s staged descent past the upper facade bands, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor elevaTOr

SkyTower stands 351.85m tall, containing 958 condominium suites above a podium with retail, amenities, and a 223-room Le Méridien hotel. A third Pinnacle One Yonge tower is proposed to rise 320.35m, adding another 95-storey ‘supertall’ to the waterfront development at some point in the future. Below, one of the earlier versions of the peak of the tower proposed a screen to elegantly hide all of the projections atop the building.

Looking southeast to SkyTower (right) and Phase 3 (left), designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for Pinnacle International

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46-Storey Rental Kicks Off Three-Tower Plan at Yonge and Steeles

Anthony Teles — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:34:37 -0400

Times Group Corporation has submitted Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications for the first phase of a three-tower plan at 7015 through 7027 Yonge Street in Markham’s Thornhill area. Immediately across Steeles Avenue from Toronto city limits and North York's Newtonbrook area, the broader site plan calls for additional towers of 60 and 65 storeys steps from Steeles station on the Yonge Line 1 North Subway Extension, now under construction. Designed by Wallman Architects, the first phase tower would rise 46 storeys, delivering purpose-built rental suites and a childcare facility.

Looking southwest to 7015 Yonge Street, Phase 1, designed by Wallman Architects for Times Group Corporation

The first-phase site occupies the south side of Highland Park Boulevard, immediately east of Yonge Street and north of Steeles Avenue. It is currently occupied by a gas station and low-rise commercial building. The land forms part of Times Group’s larger 8,911m² property.

Looking east to the current site, image retrieved from Google Maps

The application for the block plan was submitted to the City of Markham in April, 2026, followed by the first phase submission in June, 2026. The first phase would rise along reach 160.4m tall with a Floor Space Index of 14.6 times coverage of its 2,807m² portion of the larger site. Its 40,874m² of Gross Floor Area would include 38,493m² of residential space and 998m² of childcare space.

Site plan, 7015 Yonge Street, designed by Wallman Architects for Times Group Corporation

The tower would deliver 504 purpose-built rental units, comprising 336 one-bedrooms, 126 two-bedrooms, and 42 homes with three or more bedrooms, with no studios proposed. The childcare facility would occupy the second floor, while residents would have access to 1,008m² of indoor and 517m² of outdoor amenity space. Six elevators are planned for the building, equivalent to one for every 84 units, indicating short wait times when all elevators are operational.

Landscape plan for Phase 1, designed by Wallman Architects for Times Group Corporation

Below grade, a four-level garage would contain 208 vehicular spaces, divided among 163 resident, 43 visitor, and two institutional spaces, including eight accessible spaces within the overall supply. The plans also call for two loading spaces and 506 bicycle spaces, of which 404 would be reserved for long-term use and 102 for short-term parking.

Looking southwest to the podium for Phase 1, designed by Wallman Architects for Times Group Corporation

The site is roughly 100m, or a two-minute walk, from Steeles station on the Yonge Line 1 North Subway Extension. Existing surface service is provided by TTC, YRT, VIVA, and GO Transit buses operating along Yonge and Steeles, with a future bus rapid transit line also proposed for the Steeles corridor. Cycling infrastructure is comparatively limited, with the application identifying a signed route along Willowdale Boulevard that continues east on Meadowview Avenue.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Markham

The proposal would join a growing cluster of high-rise plans around Yonge and Steeles. To the north are plans for the 36-storey Grandview Tower, Liv on Yonge at 12 and 44 storeys, and a 45-storey proposal at 7079 Yonge, while the two-tower Atlantis Condos development to the east would reach 40 and 44 storeys. South of Steeles, an enormous redevelopment is planned for the Centrepoint Mall site with over 8,300 units spread out across 22 buildings, some up to 50 storeys high, while applications at 26–34 Nipigon Avenue, Steeles Heights, 6979 Yonge, and 7–17 Nipigon range from 48 to 52 storeys. West of Yonge, 7028 Yonge calls for three towers of 50 to 65 storeys, joined farther west by 41- and 58-storey towers at 88 Steeles Avenue West and four towers ranging from 38 to 60 storeys at 72 Steeles Avenue West.

Looking northwest to 7015 Yonge Street, Phase 1, designed by Wallman Architects for Times Group Corporation

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