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Continuing west from the previous instalment of our annual Growth to Watch For series, we venture into South Etobicoke, where we've compiled an overview of the developments set to make an impact on the burgeoning area in 2017. While much of the dialogue around development in the city has focused on Downtown Toronto, South Etobicoke has also experienced explosive growth over the past few years, resulting in a flurry of high-rise towers built and planned in the area, especially at Humber Bay Shores. Beginning just west of High Park in Swansea and heading westward, our list includes all developments set to be completed in the new year, all projects under construction, and a host of new proposals working their way through the planning process.
Beginning near the intersection of The Queensway and South Kingsway, a development application for 34-40 Southport Street—a former shopping plaza that has since been demolished—has been lying dormant for a few years despite having been approved at the OMB in late 2013. The proposal by State Building Group could be coming to market soon though as Southport Square. It includes plans for a grocery store, two towers approved at 25 and 30 storeys, and 14 townhouses.
A short ways south at the waterfront, the site of the former Four Points Sheraton 1926 Lake Shore West, dormant since the hotel was demolished in early 2014, has been revived with a site plan approval application submitted late last year. Proposing twin 38-storey condo towers sharing a common podium, it is to be marketed as Mirabella Condominiums. The Diamante Corporation-led project is designed by Scott Shields Architects and would add 748 new residential units to the lake shore. While an earlier plan by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Carttera was approved at the OMB for similarly tall 35-storey towers, the new proposal shortens the height of each floor to fit three more in. The podium of the new plan, up against the Gardiner Expressway, is larger than currently approved.
Moving west into the Humber Bay Shores area, a flurry of activity is happening along Lake Shore Boulevard in what has become Etobicoke's highest and densest residential cluster. At 2143 and 2147 Lake Shore Boulevard West, The Conservatory Group's Cove at Waterways and Water's Edge at the Cove towers are slowly making progress. While the excavation for both Richmond Architects-designed phases was carried out simultaneously, the 16-storey Cove at Waterways is already rising above grade and could top off by the end of the year, but the 56-storey Water's Edge, recently rebranded, will see a later construction launch.
Moving west along Lake Shore Boulevard, the finishing touches are being put on Mattamy and Biddington's Lago At the Waterfront with full occupancy expected this year. Designed by Graziani + Corazza, the 49-storey tower stands out amongst the crowd with its alternating rows of white and black balconies girdling the building.
Immediately southeast of Lago, the 14-storey Riva del Lago sister project, created by the same team, is also nearing completion. Sporting the same aesthetic as the neighbouring Lago, the final interior work will soon wrap up, with full occupancy expected sometime this year.
Just next door, Beaverhall and Graywood's Ocean Club condos have long since been completed, save for a five-storey commercial and retail component fronting Lake Shore Boulevard. Proposed alongside its Page + Steele / IBI Group-designed 10 and 39-storey residential components, there is no word yet as to when or if this building may materialize. In fact, work has not started on any of the commercial frontage buildings planned for this this strip yet, but given the huge influx of residents to Humber Bay Shores, it would be of little surprise if more office or retail spaces started popping up in the neighbourhood soon.
As we continue westward along Lake Shore Boulevard, the density continues with Vita on the Lake, a Graziani + Corazza Architects-designed proposal by Mattamy Homes and Biddington Homes for a 53-storey condo tower. The latest addition to Humber Bay Shores by Mattamy will add 439 new units in a range of sizes, and is currently in sales.
In addition to the 53-storey tower, Phase 2 of Vita by the Lake is in the works, comprising a 14-storey mid-rise condo building just to the south of the tower. Also included in the renderings is a four-storey Phase 3 building along Lake Shore, joining the list of proposed low-rise commercial buildings along the major artery.
Next door to Vita on the Lake, another major proposal by The Conservatory Group for 2169-2173 Lake Shore West may be in the works, but has lain dormant since being approved back in 2014. A design by Richmond Architects would see a 41-storey condo tower on the southern portion of the site, a 6-storey residential building at the centre, and a 2-storey commercial building along Lake Shore.
Moving one site over, Jade Waterfront Condos is just wrapping up, with Phantom Development's 41-storey tower set to be complete this year. The Quadrangle Architects-designed development also included a proposed two-storey commercial building fronting Lake Shore in its initial documents, however, much like the rest of the developments on this strip, a big question mark surrounds the commercial building, as there has been no word on when it will materialize.
Continuing our travels southwest through Mimico, Empire's Eau du Soleil condos holds the title of tallest project in Canada outside of a downtown, with two Richmond Architects and Zeidler Partnership Architects-designed towers of 66 and 49 storeys. The towers are currently under construction, with the pouring of the concrete structure now peaking above grade. Look for these two behemoths to quickly rise out of the ground over the coming year.
Hopping to the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard, The Onni Group's 46-storey Westlake Encore is the final phase of their Westlake development, adding a further 523 residential units to the densifying neighbourhood. The Page + Steele / IBI Group-designed development is currently under construction, with the pouring of the concrete structure having reached the tower floor plates, and cladding now being applied on the lower levels. Look for this tower to top off sometime in 2017.
A little further up the road, one lot past the 2016-completed Key West, another development site at 42 Park Lawn Road has been quietly empty for a few years. City Council approved a rezoning application back in 2014 to allow a 41-storey condo tower on the site with a two-storey commercial building fronting Park Lawn. It appears that the site's owners, Petro J Developments, did not intend to develop the property, as the site went up for sale shortly after the rezoning was approved. Amexon, who built the two South Beach condo towers immediately to the north, now owns the site, with no word on a development date.
Moving southwest into Mimico, a stand-alone proposal for a 25-storey condo tower at 2313 Lake Shore Boulevard West is currently sitting at city planning awaiting word on a rezoning application. The building would replace a surface parking lot at the southern edge of the site facing the lake, and would join two existing 10-storey rental apartments currently existing on the property. The building would be the first to be redeveloped along a new stretch of the Waterfront Trail, completed two years ago. Little is known about when the proposal might move forward, but hopefully 2017 will bring about some affirmative action on this waterfront site.
Jumping to the heart of Mimico Village, a more modest plan is proposed at 2409 and 2411 Lake Shore by C& Partners Architects. The 6-storey mixed-use proposal includes a restaurant/cafe on the ground floor, a dance/music studio on the second and third levels, a photography studio on the fourth level, and office space on the fifth and sixth levels.
Just to the northwest, a bunch of activity is coming to the industrial area surrounding the Mimico GO Station, earmarked as a Regeneration Area in the City's Official Plan. Beginning just west of Park Lawn Road, a proposal by Etabbey Holdings at 251 Manitoba would see a 29-storey architectsAlliance-designed condo residential building constructed with grade-level retail. Initially proposed at 48 storeys, the rezoning application went to the OMB, where it was negotiated down to a lower height. An updated design has yet to appear.
Directly southwest of 251 Manitoba, the City is proposing an expanded and greatly improved public park, dubbed Grand Manitoba Park, in order to accommodate the huge influx of residents coming to the area. Still in the preliminary design and public consultation phase, PMA Landscape Architects are proposing plenty of open green space complete with new sports facilities for the 5-hectare site at the corner of Grand Avenue and Manitoba Street. A connection is proposed to the Mimico Creek Parks to the east, while a 'greenway' alongside the tracks and stretching southwest to Mimico GO Station and Royal York Road is also under consideration.
Just west of the park, a massive proposal by Freed Developments named Grand Park Village would add significant density to the area. Comprised of 5 residential buildings ranging from 6 to 32 storeys, the entire project totals 1,824 new residential units and is arranged in narrow strips oriented north-south. Designed by architectsAlliance, the proposal is currently seeking approval for rezoning.
Directly adjacent to Grand Park Village, yet another massive proposal is in the works for 23 Buckingham, a complex of townhouses and three residential towers of 24, 26, and 28 storeys atop 8-storey podiums, comprising a total of 933 new units with non-residential functions integrated into the ground level. The development was submitted for rezoning late last year.
To the southwest of 23 Buckingham, a proposal by Dunpar Homes at 39 Newcastle would see two residential towers of 28 and 30 storeys constructed adjacent to the train station. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the 606-unit complex includes retail in its podium, and is currently working its way through the planning process. Its heights are foreseen in the new local area plan.
Adjacent to 39 Newcastle, Stanton's On The GO Mimico is slowly rising alongside the train station on Royal York Road. Designed by McCallum Sather Architects, the 27-storey condo development is currently under construction, with the pouring of the concrete structure just reaching grade level. Look for this tower to rise out of the ground sometime this year.
Hopping across to the south side of the tracks, a modest proposal by Allegra Homes and 1 Blue Goose Developments Inc. is planning to transform the historic 1909-built Blue Goose Tavern into The Mimico, a 31-unit 4-storey residential project that would restore the original building and build an addition to densify the site. Designed by Thomas Payne Architect, the development would include grade-level retail in the historic portion, replacing the tavern that currently inhabits the building.
On the west side of Royal York Road, north of the tracks, a proposal by Dunpar Homes for 49-55 Judson Street is currently under review to build a series of 4-storey townhouses and a 3-storey commercial building on the industrial site. The development, however, has put Ward 5 Councillor Justin di Ciano in the hot seat, who, after pushing to have the Mimico-Judson planning report amended to allow residential development on this site, was investigated for his alleged personal and political ties with Dunpar. The amendment was approved by City Council despite the controversy and objections from City Planning staff. Metrolinx is appealing the zoning approval to the OMB, concerned that the residential at this site will impinge upon future operations at its Willowbrook yard.
All in all, the map below summarizes the flurry of activity that may be coming to the Mimico GO Station area. More news will follow in the coming year as these proposals work their way through the planning process.
Jumping back down to the lake shore, and further west into the former village of Long Branch, the first phase of Minto, Kilmer, and Diamond Corp's Minto Long Branch, a mixed-use development of retail and townhouses along Lake Shore Boulevard, was recently completed. However, a site plan approval submission late last year revealed that Phase 2 is in the works. Designed by Giannone Petricone and Guthrie Muscovitch Architects, Phase 2 would include 379 new stacked townhouse units, replacing the car dealership adjacent to the already existing 501 townhomes, and adding a further 880 square metres of retail.
Moving north, a sprawling mixed-use development for 564-580 Evans Avenue is quietly making its way through the planning process. A site plan approval application was submitted in 2014, with subsequent documents released as recently as June 2016. Located at the junction of the Gardiner, QEW, and Highway 427, the proposal by Antorisa Investments includes two residential towers of 24 and 30 storeys, 24 stacked townhouses, an 8-storey seniors' residence, a 5-storey office building, a one-storey commercial building, and a new public park. Designed by Giannone Petricone Architects, the mixed-use development would replace a series of one-storey commercial buildings and a hotel, and would add a total of 712 new residential units and 7,550 square metres of commercial and office space to the site.
Hopping northwest over the spaghetti interchange, the Dialog Architects-designed half-billion dollar expansion of Cadillac Fairview's Sherway Gardens Mall is still ongoing. Stores have opened in the eye-catching new wing, while renewal continues in older parts of the mall, with the anchor Nordstrom store is expected to open in Fall 2017. There is no word yet on what will replace the Holt Renfrew location which shuttered when a new Holt Refrew opened at nearby Square One in mid-2016.
The Sherway Gardens district has also been subject to a planning study by the City that has been ongoing over the past couple years. The Sherway Area Study looked at the potential redevelopment of the area bordered by Highway 427 to the east, the QEW to the south, Etobicoke Creek to the west, and the rail corridor to the north. This area encompasses the Sherway Gardens Mall, the Trillium Hospital, big box retail, and industrial uses. The plan recommended a residential densification of the area, with more of a community feel oriented around complete streets and grade-level retail. In December 2016, the Study was endorsed by Council, so stay tuned for a Secondary Plan for the area in the coming year.
In line with the coming Sherway Secondary Plan, Fima Developments is proposing a large master-planned community at 1750 The Queensway, opposite the Sherway Gardens Mall. The sprawling plan would replace much of the single-storey retail box stores and low-rise offices occupying the area with a denser mixed-use plan encompassing residential, retail, office, and hotel uses. Phase 1 of the plan is currently seeking rezoning, with a trio of 27-storey Quadrangle Architects-designed towers proposed for the southeastern corner of the site, at the intersection of The Queensway and North Queen Street. Stay tuned for more updates as this works its way through the planning process.
Moving eastward, a former industrial stretch of The Queensway between Kipling and Islington Avenues is about to see an explosion of residential density. Firstly, the Kipling Queensway Mall is slated for demolition sometime in the near future to accommodate an expanded interchange between Kipling Avenue and the Gardiner Expressway. This move could free up the remainder of the large plot of land for potential redevelopment in the future.
Closer to the present, just to the east of Kipling at 30 Zorra Street, a proposal for a 35-storey tower designed by Quadrangle Architects is currently working its way through a rezoning application.
Just on the other side of Zorra Street, the second phase of The Remington Group's IQ Condos is currently under construction on The Queensway, with a pair of 24-storey towers joining their now-complete 12-storey Phase One neighbours. The Richmond Architects-designed towers have topped off, with cladding now having been installed more than halfway up the buildings. Look for a completion date and occupation for these later in 2017.
An additional Phase 3 of IQ Condos is approved but has not yet gone into sales, with three Giannone Petricone-designed towers of 19, 27, and 42 storeys proposed for the plot of land south of Phase 2. Separating the two phases, a portion of the property has been set aside for a new public park to accommodate the influx of new residents.
Adjacent to IQ Condos, a proposal at 1061 The Queensway would see a 2-storey retail and commercial building designed by Turner Fleischer Architects constructed along The Queensway as part of Phase One, which would contain a Sobeys to replace the one currently located in the doomed Kipling Queensway Mall. To the south, Phase 2 proposes to build two residential towers of 22 and 27 storeys. Both applications are working their way through the planning process.
Directly to the south of 1061 The Queensway, a recent rezoning application by Kooby Investments for 2 St. Lawrence is looking to add further density to the area. Initial massing studies have presented three options to the City, with a combination of stacked townhouses and two or three towers rising as high as 29 storeys. With Kohn Partnership Architects at the helm, look for this proposal to evolve in the coming year.
Hopping one block eastward, another rezoning application has been submitted for 1001 The Queensway, a site currently occupied restaurant and retail pads beside the flagship Queensway Cineplex. Headed by RioCan and designed by Core Architects, the proposal would see four residential towers of 20, 12, 12, and 12 storeys atop two 4-storey podiums situated along The Queensway. To the south, roughly 1,300 square metres has been set aside for a "programmable green space" between the residential towers and the Cineplex.
A little further east at 784 The Queensway, just west of Royal York Road, a recent rezoning application has been submitted by Urban Capital and Rosewater Capital for the redevelopment of the Beer Store site into an 8-storey mid-rise condo building. Designed by RAW Design, the project would add 172 residential units to the increasingly busy neighbourhood.
Finally, wrapping up our tour of South Etobicoke, we head east on the Queensway to the last stoplight before the Humber River, and turn north on Stephen Drive. Tucked into the Stonegate neighbourhood is a former suburban plaza site—an L-shaped structure of shops with a vast parking lot out front of it—which is now being redeveloped. Likely a model to be copied in several places across Toronto in the coming years, the plaza might have made sense when everyone drove everywhere in the late 50s and early 60s when this area developed, but in recent years the parking lot was usually only a third full. Now, the Vandyk Group of Companies is building the first of four phases at the site. The Shoppes at Stonegate is the name of the first quadrant, the other three will be mid-rise residential buildings called Backyard Neighbourhood Condos. It's all designed by Kohn Partnership Architects, and it will feature a landscaped green space at its centre known as a POPS, or Privately Owned Publicly accessible Space.
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Our Growth to Watch For series will continue with more overviews of Toronto's development hotspots coming over the next couple months as we circle our way around the city. In the meantime, make sure to check out the dataBase files and Forum threads for each of the projects mentioned for more information. You can tell us what you think of all the developments happening in the city by joining the discussions in the associated Forum threads, or by leaving a comment in the space provided on this page!
