Toronto 2180 Yonge | 247m | 65s | Oxford Properties | Hariri Pontarini

It’s a little sad that the majority are studios or 1-beds, but I guess that’s the only affordable price point at that intersection.
 
Commentary from Matlow and a local community rep:

trnto.com

Yonge and Eg-normous: Canada Square is the largest development to hit midtown Toronto

The site plan includes 2,700 resident units lots of commercial space
trnto.com trnto.com


“Sometimes we get accused of being against every development, but I think everybody’s quite excited about this,” said Andy Gort, president of the South Eglinton Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (SERRA), which has been representing all the area residents associations regarding this particular development. “You know, there’s nothing very beautiful on the site today. I mean, you can’t even penetrate the site. Even the retail, whatever there is, is tucked inside. The theatre is tucked inside. And it’s a big wall on Yonge Street. So I think everybody’s quite, quite eager to see something develop.”

The official plan for Canada Square has now been submitted to the City of Toronto, and public consultations with the community are ongoing. Local councillor Josh Matlow has been keeping a watchful eye over the site for many years and has been a key advocate in ensuring that any development includes much-needed park and open space for a neighbourhood that has long been deemed park deficient by the city.

“The focus has been on the public realm and to create park space and open space and something really significant and beautiful for the community and the city,” Matlow said. “That’s always been a big focus of mine throughout all the different discussions and negotiations leading up to where we’re at now. So what I made very clear at the get-go with Oxford: there was an agreement made over a decade ago with the community. And so if there was ever any discussion regarding changes, an emphasis would have to be on improving the quality of life for the community.”

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Gort said SERRA has expressed an interest in an increase of commercial development on the site to allow for people to live and work in the same area and since there are already so many residential developments on the way. In addition, some much-needed public amenities, such as a new school and open park spaces as well as a possible cultural space.

“That’s been really high on the agenda, to have a large open area, and the preliminary framework they showed us is dedicated to doing that, so we’re really enthusiastic about that,” Gort said.

And the idea of a groundbreaking public space with impact is one that has long resonated with Matlow.

“What is unequivocal is — and I’ll double back down on this — there needs to be a remarkable public space at the corner,” Matlow said. “It needs to be truly remarkable public space, not one that is a typical Toronto open space that reaches for the height of mediocrity, but one that leaves a legacy for midtown Toronto, especially given the amount of development that has occurred in the area.”

Matlow also said that the Canada Square site is an opportunity to create some “social support and infrastructure” that is missing from a community that has been dealing with unprecedented levels of residential development over the last decade. He also emphasized keeping jobs in the area such as at Canadian Tire, which has been a longtime resident at the site, and it is hoped that the company continues to be long into the future.

“We don’t want Yonge and Eglinton to just become a bedroom community in the sky. We want it to be a complete community with jobs,” Matlow explained, “where those of us who live in the area are able to walk to work rather than have to rely on an overcrowded subway system or have to drive — a place where people can work, live and play. That’s a complete community.”
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I'll miss those two towers as much as they are not very friendly for the area and are a wall on Yonge. It feels like a waste to tear both of them down, but I can see in some ways why they want to.
 
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With skyscrapers at the height of this one. It makes sense to clear cut the housing block beside it, to make way for other highrises etc. In fact all the way to Avenue Rd to even off the west side of Midtown like the east . Just like they're doing it in East York on 8-40 Gowen Ave. Ha ! Ha !
 
I couldn’t find the feedback form - I really want to voice just how much I dislike that cul-de-sac. I’m also really curious why Mike Layton and SERRA like that cul-de-sac.
 
allengeorge said:
I couldn’t find the feedback form - I really want to voice just how much I dislike that cul-de-sac. I’m also really curious why Mike Layton and SERRA like that cul-de-sac.
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What does Mike Layton have to do with it? Josh Matlow is the councillor here
 
allengeorge said:
I couldn’t find the feedback form - I really want to voice just how much I dislike that cul-de-sac. I’m also really curious why Mike Layton and SERRA like that cul-de-sac.
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I emailed Oxford properties in order to request for further public engagement because this is my hood and this is the first time a lot of us are hearing about this, I would suggest you email them too. They said they would send my inquiry to the 'rightful person' but I haven't heard anything.
 
Paul Aitken said:
I think putting a park at one of Toronto's most important urban intersections is bizarre and unnecessary, especially in such a shaded and windswept location. Why not deck over the TTC rail line to the south down to Davisville and put a park there?
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Matlow has said in the past he is favour of the deckover. It's a shame it wasn't progressing already given how often the Davisville-Eglinton Portal stretch has been out of subway service to accommodate Metrolinx construction (including the ventilation facility immediately adjacent to the Portal)
 
Oxford has a number of significant proposals on the boards. Including the Hub, Union park, Scarborough Town centre and now this one. I understand that projects of this size can take years to be realized, but has Oxford built anything other than Richmond/ Adelaide Centre in Toronto in the last 20 years? Are any of their proposals moving past just being visions?
 
Bluffers416 said:
Oxford has a number of significant proposals on the boards. Including the Hub, Union park, Scarborough Town centre and now this one. I understand that projects of this size can take years to be realized, but has Oxford built anything other than Richmond/ Adelaide Centre in Toronto in the last 20 years? Are any of their proposals moving past just being visions?
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Don't forget about the entire Square One master plan!
 
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