Toronto 200 Poplar Road | ?m | 9s | Toronto Lands Corporation

[Northern Light]

A report is coming to the next Government and Licensing Committee on November 30th, 2020.

Said report is about 'activating' the former Robert Borden Technical School as a community Hub.

However, in the detail of the report, it is clear that the City is intent on acquiring this site, should it be able to come to terms with Toronto Lands Co (the TDSB's real estate disposition arm).

First, the report:

https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-158528.pdf

Second, the key passage from the report:

The land exchange contemplated the City obtaining the fee simple interest in the Borden Site, to be used to create a community hub servicing the needs of the local community along with allowing the City to explore city-building opportunities with other City-owned properties nearby.

Based on the above; I looked for City-owned sites contiguous to this property.

4301 Kingston Road, and 4315 Kingston Road are both City owned properties through TCHC.

Entirely based on my supposition and experience, I believe the City to be considering redevelopment of this site should it obtain ownership of the Borden property.

The Kingston Road frontage represents a substantial opportunity as the site is current, predominantly low-desnity (townhouses set well back from the road), with a single hirise.

The hirise (4301) under went a deep building energy retrofit not so long ago; so might be something to be worked around; but it is an older property and less than optimally sited.

The site currently features 'Tower in the Park' space as well as surface parking.

Existing site aerials and streetview pictures follow:

200 Poplar (the Borden Site)

TCHC sites adjacent to the Borden lands; 4301, and 4315 Kingston Road.

Combined, these 3 sites are 8.4ha or ~ 21 acres

This is the School, from Streetview, front facade:

This is the south side of the school property, you can see the hirise 4301 in the background:

This is 4301 Kingston Road:

Finally, this is 4315 Kingston Road:

Added note, the land exchange mentioned in the report would afford the TDSB stratified ownership under a Housing Now site at 770 Don Mills Road.

There is a small update on delays affecting that site, which have in turn impacted the ability to close on this transaction:

 

[Northern Light]

Added note, the land exchange mentioned in the report would afford the TDSB stratified ownership under a Housing Now site at 770 Don Mills Road.

There is a small update on delays affecting that site, which have in turn impacted the ability to close on this transaction:

Corporate Real Estate Management and CreateTO are in ongoing negotiations with the Toronto Lands Corporation, on behalf of the Toronto District School Board, to finalize the terms of the authorized land swap. CreateTO staff have advised that the development plans for the 770 Don Mills Road site have been delayed as a result of Provincial transit planning which has prohibited the finalization of key terms required for the land swap agreement.

 

[Northern Light]

Back from the dead..............

The landswap involving 770 Don Mills is no longer on, though that site remains of interest to the TDSB, and the City remains open to providing them a stratified interest in said site.

This site, however, now stands on its own.

But in a new way.

Through a report to the November meeting of the TDSB's Planning and Priorities Ctte, we learn of said plans:

https://pub-tdsb.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=16433

From the above:

****

 

[Paclo]

Concept plan from Toronto Land Corp's May meeting:

 

[Northern Light]

I'm not keen on the above plan.

Love to see the net new affordable housing, but I have a host of issues here.

Where to start?

First, the street grid. This super-block Galloway to Poplar, Coronation to Kingston needs to be thought of as an integrated whole. Even if the rest of the block isn't up for redevelopment yet, it will be, and these plans should serve those developments well.

To do that:

1) Danzig should be aligned to run all the way to Galloway.

2) A new N-S public street should be aligned to punch through to Kingston Road, as a Right-in/Right-out only connection. This super block is far too large and needs porosity not isolation.

***

Second, I would really prefer to see any non-Senior/LTC building as mixed income, rather that creating a 'ghetto' (classical use of the word) of all-affordale/RGI that's continguous with market buildings off on their own. You want low income earners to benefit from an interest alignment with higher income earners, that will help keep the community in better condition.

***

Third..........yah..........the park. It reads more as a private court yard than a Park. IF a park is included here, it ought to front one if not two of the public streets and serve the broader community. It should also be a more regularized shape that's easier to program.

That said, I'd rather ditch the park entirely. Why? Because of this:

Eastview Park is just to the south, its an irregular shape that makes it far less functional than it could be for its size.

Grabbing that block of 5 houses off in the north-west'ish corner of the park (as seen above) would allow a major new facility in the existing park. The expanded park would also remain able to logically grow further to support
future redevelopments. All while being cheaper to maintain as a single site.

*****

Then, here's the bit @HousingNowTO would love, by shifting the park to the south, adjacent to existing parkland, there's no shadowing issue of this newly created park, which allows greater heights.

Also by rearranging the road grid as I've suggested, one has new paths of sunlight into the community interior for resident enjoyment, but you can line the new roads with taller buildings as well.

One can certainly incorporate a very small courtyard hangout/ tot lot (play area for the pre-school set), but still achieve a more functional and dense layout here; and set up future parcels for the same.

Just saying.

 

[HousingNowTO]

adding to the watch-list... thx!