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100 Wynford Drive (HR Reit, ?s, ?)

Northern Light

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From the Lobbyist Registry, we learn that HR is mulling something for this site.

This is a lowrise office building currently tenanted by Bell, located on the north side of Wynford Drive and bordering the DVP to the east and the CP Mainline to the north.

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Aerial Pic:

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The site size is ~4.7ha/ or just a bit shy of 12 acres.

The Registry does not tell us the nature of the Planning Application to be lobbied, but I find it improbable that it's more office development.

I feel rather confident that City Planning staff will oppose MCR conversion of Employment lands in this location.

The argument will be that there is residential immediately on the other side of the DVP (which shouldn't be there, but I digress); and more proposed.......as well as proximity to the Eglinton Crosstown.

On a straight-line basis, the nearest stop will be 450M from the southern lip of this site. However, the only way to reach that stop will be by traversing the Aga Khan site. Assuming the existing path were open 24/7/365, lit, and maintained for winter, that route would
be 600M to the nearest Crosstown stop.

Alternatively, the distance to the Don Mills Station is ~950M and the distance to the Wynford stop is ~725m. I would add though, that I think a fairer evaluation of walking distance would be the median point on the site rather than its southern lip, which would add ~150M to all of the above routes.
 
^Yup i'm in agreement, another site to which im against any proposed zoning conversion. This will be in the area of 2 major rapid transit lines, and as such this will naturally (and should be) a hub for residential, office, and institutional development.
 
Sites like this should retain the existing office and just redevelop the parking. I understand the City is concerned about setting that precedent for employment conversion. But could this be ameliorated if the site were merely densified as opposed to the offices being torn down?
 
Tear off the back and interior of the Bell office, keep the façade, build parking underneath it and an addition above? I don't see it happening, the average person would think is an ugly old office building not worth keeping. I would be really surprised if it doesn't get the wrecking ball. Would love the office space replaced on site, there is a nice little cluster of offices around this highway cloverleaf.
 
I believe this was a former Bell call centre. It as also home to iconic 90s MTO CCTV camera that caught the traffic on the Don Valley Parking Lot.
 
I believe Bell currently use it as a data centre.

I know someone who works there. (though they are remote at the moment)

There are programming and analytics staff there for sure. (err, or at least there are on paper)

I inquired, and the person said they haven't been in the office regularly since the beginning of the pandemic so they couldn't say w/certainty how all the other floors (that this person is not nominally assigned to) are being used.

But the above units still maintain a fair bit of space.
 
some I heard said expected approval in Q3 and "massive 1950 residential and 440k commercial"

That's an eye-popping bit of density!

****

Q3 what year? LOL I think approval here would be challenging, but regardless, approval by Q3 this year is a total non-starter.
 

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