Toronto 25 Photography Drive | 165m | 49s | Choice Properties | Giannone Petricone

That's the old KODAK complex, as in the photography company.

They packed up (closed that plant) many years ago.....10? (not sure)

At any rate, its been vacant for a while, there's one nice heritage office building left on site, though it was heavily vandalized and neglected so it may not be savable. Everything else on the site is pretty much gone already.

They sold to METRUS recently, which has proposed a big box/power centre development for the site :mad:

What a waste if that goes though.
 
City Planning Staff Reports

City Planning Preliminary Report - April 28 2009
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2009/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-20825.pdf

3500 Eglinton Avenue West and 55 Ray Avenue, Interpretation of Retail Permission - September 15 2009
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2009/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-23563.pdf

See proposed Site Plan on page 8 of the above PDF document ~ :)

Description of Proposal

... the proposed development is for a mix of office, retail and service commercial uses having a total gross floor area of approximately 75,100 square metres. The office component would have an approximate floor area of 17,500 square metres, the retail component would have an approximate floor area of 55,575 square metres, and the service commercial component would have an approximate floor area of 2,025 square metres. A variety of retail unit sizes is anticipated, ranging from 325 square metres to 10,350 square metres.

The applicant is proposing to construct a four-storey office building fronting on Eglinton Avenue West, which will replace a portion of the retaining wall and provide pedestrian and vehicular access from Eglinton Avenue West to the shopping complex. The shopping complex would consist of a variety of large and small stores fronting on a series of covered pedestrian streets, with common gathering and plaza areas. Additional office and retail uses will be provided along Ray Avenue, with service commercial uses along Industry Street.
 
The TTC facility on the Kodak lands is a preferred location for one of the Transit City carhouse sites. The Mount Dennis TTC bus garage is very close by.

As this is Metrus, and not Dumb!Centres, I doubt there will be a Wal-Mart, at least. And this does look like big box mall, somewhere between Don Mills centre and your typical mall. I am glad that one of the Kodak structures (which I believe is the oldest) is being retained.
 
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The TTC facility on the Kodak lands is a preferred location for one of the Transit City carhouse sites. The Mount Dennis TTC bus garage is very close by.

As this is Metrus, and not Dumb!Centres, I doubt there will be a Wal-Mart, at least. And this does look like big box mall, somewhere between Don Mills centre and your typical mall. I am glad that one of the Kodak structures (which I believe is the oldest) is being retained.

It has heritage status, but I'm wondering if it will be restored and reused in this redevelopment, or if they'll keep it boarded up.
 
Wow you guys are quick... not even 20 minutes after I ask what this is there's already 2 posts saying what WAS there, what's probably going there, and how many square feet it will be if it does go there. :)
 
Prospective redevelopment. It is identified as an opportunity for intensification in Choice Properties REIT's Q2 Investor Presentation:

This will be across the street from both the York Recreation Centre, and the Mt. Dennis Station on the Eglinton Crosstown. As such it represents a wonderful opportunity for mixed-use intensification, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this progress through Choice REIT's development pipeline before other sites with the Eglinton Crosstown set to open in a few short years.

On site is currently a No Frills.

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Good highway access too with Black Creek Drive right there. Really, really good location.

Always with the highways! 😛

On my to-do list is to lobby for disconnecting Black Creek Drive from the 400 and 401, making it a 'normal' city road, that would end at Jane Street in the north-west.
 
It is a good site for intensification; also, of note, it is entirely outside the regulatory floodplain.

There is a strong argument, in the longer term for shifting the table-top park assets (like sports fields) out of the valley here as they are entirely within the floodplain, and it would allow space for nature and wetlands instead.

That said, this proposal does not afford that opportunity.

What may be a worthwhile consideration though is relocating the City-owned arena nearby which is entirely within the floodplain.

It's an aging facility due for renewal; and where you can probably trade very high densities away; an amenable arrangement with Choice might be on the table.

No need for sports fields on site, a park at the southern tip could afford a high quality children's playground.

But there is a need to retain the supermarket on-site.
 
A collection of very tall towers would be appropriate here.
I believe the old City of York had plans for a "downtown" in this area, especially when the original Eglinton subway was being planned/constructed. I remember my uncle (who worked for the Ministry of the Environment & Energy) telling me they had to be curtailed due to much of these lands being on a former landfill. I'm not sure if that is still an engineering challenge, but maybe.
 

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