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Oxford Properties Group, the owners of Scarborough Town Centre (STC), are working towards a major redevelopment of the lands surrounding the mall. In 2019, Oxford proposed a mixed-use development at 25 Borough Drive, west of the shopping mall, as the first development site on the expansive property. After a resubmission in 2020 that addressed the design of Borough Drive as it relates to streetscape configuration and cycling infrastructure, discussions continued with City staff regarding the overall parkland development for the STC site. What had been proposed as parkland on this site was not to the City's liking, so more adjustments were made.
Oxford has since made a second resubmission to the City, with a new outdoor plan that has been expanded to include a 2,041m² onsite public park. The proposed southern tower and its podium have been shifted north in order to free up land on the site’s southern side to accommodate the new parkland.
The original open space strategy proposed a potential location for a cash-in-lieu parkland contribution on the east side of a realigned Borough Drive, however, following discussions with the City, it was determined that delivery of a public park on the southern portion of the site would be more beneficial. The newly proposed park would provide for the dedication of a complete park rather than a portion of a future park, as was proposed in the previous submissions.
Previous submissions also proposed to provide a car-free mid-block open space – a POPS (Privately Owned Publicly accessible Space) – at the centre of the site, that would provide convenient access between Borough Drive and Brimley Road. The revised proposal maintains the POPS.
The connection would be lined with two-storey townhouse units, with front porches that create a safe and comfortable environment for visitors, while supporting a more communal residentially-focused space for adjacent residents. The connection would provide a range of features, including lighting, integrated seating, as well as landscaping designed in to maintain clear sight lines and support social interaction between residents.
The original proposal was comprised of three BDP Quadrangle-designed purpose-built rental towers, that would rise to heights of 32, 41, and 50 storeys atop two separate 7-storey podiums. Two towers would rise from the north podium, while the third would rise above the south podium. At grade, retail and townhome units were proposed, fronting onto Borough Drive, Brimley Road, and the POPS between the podiums.
The tower heights have changed in the resubmission to 35, 41, and 45 storeys. The heights change from 107.98 metres, 135.18 metres, and 163.49 metres, to 117.63 metres, 141.82 metres, and 148.43 metres. The total unit count decreases from 1,342 to 1,282 units, while parking spaces also decrease, from 748 to 558 spaces. The podiums would still be home to retail units fronting onto Borough Drive, Brimley Road, and the POPS.
You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | Arcadis, BDP Quadrangle, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, HGC Engineering Inc, MCW Consultants Ltd, Urban Strategies Inc. |
