Toronto 5800 Yonge | 173.23m | 54s | Times Group | Wallman Architects

While City's lease of 5800 Yonge for Refugee-Homeless Shelter expires September 2020 - it's renewable and likely will be since:
- Times Group (developer) still haven't officially submitted new development proposal (Terms of Agreement for purchase from BuildToronto (TorontoHydro) specifies built form so it can be fast tracked and permits within 1 year or so; but Times Group already stated they'll fight for more density & height). The Terms of Agreement already took 5 years. SilverCore/Aoyuan's Newtonbrook Plaza redevelopment proposal across Yonge Street started in 2008 with demolition in December 2018 - 10 years negotiation
- City already spent millions of dollars renovating former NorthYork/Toronto Hydro office building into residential dormitory for Refugee/Homeless
- Times Group strategy of kissing up to City to get more height & density than agreed upon in Terms of Agreement
- Times Group strategy of pissing off locals with (what some would perceive as) undesirable usage so when they come up with larger proposal; locals are more agreeable as long as it gets rid of the current undesirable usage!

Doc specifies City can renew for up to 21 years without going back to Council!

Personally, after current lease expires on September 2020; I expect City to renew for at least 2 more years to September 2022 - I can't see TimesGroup starting any construction anytime sooner otherwise in direct competition with Aoyuan's M2M Phase 2 across Yonge Street (Phase 1 construction just about to start); also there's Plaza's 5888 Yonge directly to north & ConservatoryGroup's Ruby????? But these are all big developers whereas TimesGroup focus on RichmondHill mid-rise,...

But if TimesGroup wait too long here,.... with Provincial PC Government promising Yonge Subway north extension completed in 10 years (2029?) and assuming condo tower development takes 4-5 years construction and about 2 year application approval process - in about 3-4 years, we could see Yonge Street North Secondary Plan open for business,... opening up all that land along Yonge corridor between Cummer/Drewry to Steeles for high density redevelopment.

This thread does a pretty good job documenting the timeline:
- City of Toronto entered into Lease for 5800 Yonge from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2020 with basic rent of about $42,183 per month (committed $1,012,392 for 2 year term)
- Within one month of leasing site, City put in - Building Alteration for "Hostel/Shelter" # 18 252272 BLD 00 BA - November 7, 2018
- Feb 9, 2019 Sue-Ann Levy of Toronto Sun broke the storey

But there was never any Community Consultation. Now that they'll open the Refugee-Homeless Shelter on November 12,... City will host a Community Information Session (Not Consultation) on November 21, AFTER it opens. Oh and it'll be at a hard to get to little elementary school 2km away,... instead of much closer sites like Goulding Community Centre or Edithvale Community Centre or 10 other schools that are closer to the site!
214038
 
Refugee Shelter To Cost Taxpayers Nearly $1Million Per Month
 
Refugee Shelter To Cost Taxpayers Nearly $1Million Per Month
Classic Toronto Sun garbage. Yes, taxpayers who have enough to survive have to fund people who don't. Boo frickin hoo.
Edit* I see you've also posted a Sue Ann Levy article so I don't even know why I'm bothering
 
5800 YONGE ST
Ward 18 - North York District



Plan of Subdivision Approval application

Proposed Use ---​
# of Storeys ---​
# of Units ---​
Type​
Number​
Date Submitted​
Status​
Applications:
Subdivision Approval​
20 110960 NNY 18 SB​
Jan 31, 2020​
Under Review​
OPA & Rezoning​
20 110947 NNY 18 OZ​
Jan 31, 2020​
Under Review​
 
Wallman:

The proposed development is comprised of four new residential and mixed-use buildings with heights ranging from 34- to 44-storeys containing a total of 1,496 dwelling units and a new 4,675 square metre (0.46 hectare) public park organized around a network of public streets and a system of pedestrian connections. The proposed development contains a total gross floor area of 117,827 square metres, comprised of 111,188 square metres of residential gross floor area and 6,639 square metres of non-residential gross floor area resulting in a density of 3.6 times the area of the lot (the “proposal”).

Screen Shot 2020-02-04 at 12.57.13 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-02-04 at 12.57.57 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-02-04 at 12.58.14 PM.png
 
Prior to the sale of this NorthYork/Toronto Hydro Land to Times Group, through City Council the local Councillor got a Terms Of Aggreement for the Sales - which took 5 years. The Terms Of Agreement for the sale was to ensure Times Group follows the North York Centre Secondary Plan (NYCSPA) for this site (generally 100m height & 4.5FSI density with select corner sites at major arterial roads with Subway connection able to go higher with up to 6.0FSI density by paying a higher rate of Section37 Community Benefit - this site is considered mid-block with basically no possibility of direct subway connection)

Under the Terms Of Agreement, Times Group allowed:
- 4 towers: 29-storey & 29-storey on 2-8-storey podium, 29-storey & 31-storey with 5-storey podium
- the 3.6FSI density seems lower than allowed but that's because the land includes the on-site parkland dedication directly to the west and land conveyance to City for new roads.
IMG_5022a1.jpg

Originally, this was to be 3 condo tower + 1 rental tower + 3-storey mall with Supermarket - "A grocery chain has already been lined up for the commercial space, which is expected to be about 100,000 square feet. The plan for that building is for three stories of commercial/retail, five floors of office with seniors housing on top of that."

Now, going through the submission,... there's no mall, no grocery store,... just 2 retail space fronting Yonge accounting for 1% of space; office at 4%, institutional at 1% and the remaining 94% residential condos - no rental apartments.
- 4 towers: 34-storey & 37-storey on their own separate 3-storey podium, 37-storey & 44-storey on 2-4-storey podium
- keeping the 3.6FSI density under Terms Of Agreement
So basically, the large podiums from Terms Of Agreement rendering were chopped and added onto the towers to add more height while keeping the same 3.6FSI density.

Problem is, within North York Centre Secondary Plan which allows 100m - only sites at major intersections with direct subway entrances get more (Tridel Hullmark Centre 45-storey (including 12-storey office) north tower at 160m, Menkes new 49-storey 4800 Yonge at 160m, Emerald Park 40-storey east tower at 140m, GibsonSquare at 141m)

- If Submission fitted Terms of Agreement, City would have likely been able to fast track it and get Council approval within a year.
- Current proposal will be objected by local Councillor since height here is beyond what's allowed under North York Centre Secondary Plan
- Times Group calls in favour from City - for renting space to host Refuge Shelter

I suspect local Councillor will be having a fit with the 44-storey tower! He already publicly stated he would have NOT allowed Newtonbrook Redevelopment if it was in his area at the time - Silvercore Newtonbrook Redevelopment (across Yonge St) was approved under former Cllr Shiner - area absorbed into current Cllr ward under 44/47 to 25 ward change. Silvercore Newtonbrook Redevelopment is now Aoyuan's M2M - with all their towers along Yonge and direct access to corner of Yonge & Cummer where potential Subway Station would be:
Phase 1: 34-storey & 36-storey on 7-9-storey podium
Phase 2: 28-storey & 37-storey on 6-8-storey podium

I expect this proposal to be refused at Council and head to OMB - likely be at least 5 years before it breaks ground here
 
Maybe this condo project should be named Covid Condos - highly contagious!

Currently at this 5800 Yonge site, it hosts Willowdale Welcome Centre (temporary shelter for refugee/asylum claimants) - whose contractor Homes First Society were notified of their first case of covid-19 on Thursday April 9 - a few days after first hospitalization occurred - yet, they didn't do a lockdown and kept whining Social Distancing is so difficult

April 16: 11 residents and 12 staff tested positive for covid-19 - articles below shows lack of Social Distancing being practiced at Willowdale Welcome Centre

On April 20 - positive covid-19 cases among residents spike from 11 to 74 - local Cllr Filion still complaining there's No Lockdown - notice photo show residents coming back with shopping bags!
chy10159249a.jpg


April 25 - Of Willowdale Welcome Centre's 200 residents, there's 88 positive covid-19 cases (not all test results in yet!) - by far highest in Toronto Shelter system which has 135 cases in total

It seems there's finally a lockdown and many positive cases have been isolated to hotels and hospitals. But for 2 weeks, these covid-19 infected Willowdale Welcome Centre residents were just freely walking in and out - into the surrounding neighbourhoods and infecting area residents!!! Now according to flatten.ca covid-19 heat map, this northern part of Willowdale (postal code M2M) have now become a covid-19 hot spot.
 
Last edited:
Maybe this condo project should be named Covid Condos - highly contagious!
I just cringed so hard my face might be permanently contorted. What poor taste.
 

Back
Top