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The northwest corner of Birchmount Road and Eglinton Avenue East is one of several sites in Scarborough's Golden Mile neighbourhood undergoing redevelopment. In 2018, Dream Unlimited submitted an Official Plan Amendment application on behalf of Dundeal Canada (GP) Inc. to establish a vision for the future of the site, seeking a multi-tower, mixed-use community half a kilometre from the upcoming Crosstown LRT station at Birchmount Road. Now, a revised concept for 2200 Eglinton Avenue East responds to the City's emerging planning framework for the Golden Mile Secondary Area, which has advanced since the initial application was submitted.
The new raft of materials submitted this month follows the April appeal of Council's lack of a decision on the application, setting the development up for a future hearing at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. The combined Official Plan Amendment application resubmission, Draft Plan of Subdivision application, and Zoning Bylaw Amendment application sets out the scheme for the first phase of the development at the southeast portion of the subject site, referred to as Block 2.
The original master plan prepared by Kirkor Architects has been supplanted by an updated scheme from Quadrangle. Revisions made to the initial plan include an updated street grid comprised of a single public east-west street, a north-south private street, and a network of internal driveways. A new block plan identifies five blocks for future development, a consolidated block containing the existing office building and above-grade parking structure, and two blocks for potential parkland. The property would be split into a total of 11 blocks, with eight residential towers ranging in height from 20 to 46 storeys. A series of townhouses are proposed on the northern edge of the site, and a number of mid-rise buildings from six to ten storeys establish a stable street wall throughout the site.
The refined master plan proposes a total of 3,547 units across 269,161 m² of residential space. There would also be 14,190 m² of office space and 1,727 m² of retail, a little less than half of the 4,180 m² retail component originally proposed. Most of the retail will be positioned along Eglinton Avenue East to activate the LRT corridor. The total area of parks and open spaces has increased from 3,500 to 5,694 m².
The first phase coordinates the redevelopment of Blocks 1, 2 and 3. Block 1 includes the retention of the existing seven-storey office building and the four-storey above-grade parking structure, with Block 3 comprising new parkland fronting Eglinton Avenue East. The recently submitted Zoning Bylaw Amendment application details the development direction for Block 2.
Two residential towers of 39 and 46 storeys are proposed, sharing a common podium element that would contain 612 m² of ground-level retail and a 226 m² daycare facility. Wrapping around the south and east edges of the site to create a consistent street wall, the podium hugs a porte-cochère in the middle of the property. A four-level underground garage accommodates 644 vehicular parking spaces. The proposed development also provides 984 bicycle parking spaces.
The residential mix yields 584 one-bedrooms, 295 two-bedrooms, and 97 three-bedrooms for a total of 976 units. Both towers feature central volumes that are offset from the lower floors, with the upper tower elements returning to the floor plate sizes of the bottom floors.
A 490 m² plaza at the corner of Birchmount and Eglinton proposes hard and soft landscaping features, with multiple tree plantings providing shaded areas. Another 1,225 m² plaza at the west side of the site features a similar landscaping program, and will connect to the future public park.
Additional information and images can be found in our Database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment below.
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| Related Companies: | BDP Quadrangle, Dream Unlimited, RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering, Urban Strategies Inc. |
