Striding forward to advance their latest master-planned community project, developer Almadev is officially launching LSQ, a 15-acre redevelopment of Lansing Square in North York. The design has gone through several stages of refinements since its initial submission to the City of Toronto in 2019 and has emerged with a cohesive plan for the phased delivery of a mixed-use community. Upon completion, the project will inject nearly 1,600 new housing units at the edge of a thriving business centre through a mixed typology of sculpted towers and mid-rises.

Looking north at concept for complete LSQ community, image courtesy of Almadev

The site is bordered by Sheppard Avenue East to the north, and Victoria Park Avenue to the east, in the northeast corner of the Consumer Road Business Park; with roughly 20,000 people employed in the area, it is one of the largest employment hubs outside of Downtown Toronto. Highway 404 is just a kilometre or so to the west. The attractiveness of residential intensification along Sheppard Avenue has continued to increase over the last decade, suggesting that the push to transform the currently all-commercial site into a mixed-use community is happening at the right time. 

“This is a dynamic area primed for renewal, and we’re proud to bring a true mix of diverse uses to this 15-acre site,” said Rafael Lazer, CEO of Almadev. “Working alongside the City, we’ve developed a unique vision for LSQ, which not only responds to its immediate needs but anticipates its future potential as well.” With extensive connectivity offered via the surrounding arterial roads and highways, LSQ will also benefit from the future activation of the Sheppard East LRT, which will provide direct connection to the Sheppard Line 4 subway at Don Mills Station, and on to Yonge Line 1.

North-facing view of Lansing Square with existing buildings, image from Apple Maps

The realization of LSQ is set to begin with the development’s flagship tower, LSQ 1. Slated to stand 43 storeys, the Wallman Architects-designed building is the gateway into the community from the northeast corner of the site. “Designing the flagship building of a master-planned community presented a wonderful opportunity to lay the foundation for what’s to come at LSQ,” said Rod Pell, Associate Architect at Wallman Architects. “We’re honoured to be entrusted with this special gateway site, shaping the community and creating a true sense of place.”

Looking southwest to the LSQ 1 towers, designed by Wallman Architects for Almadev

LSQ 1 will be joined by a sibling tower located immediately east, standing at 30 storeys above a matching 4-storey podium. The pair of towers boast an identical exterior expression that features a repeating zig-zag motif created by the use of white cladding trips. The motif terminates at the top of both towers in a lattice-like crown, and adds visual contrast to the dark window and balcony materials. 

The early phases of LSQ will also see the development of Lansing Square’s newest commercial building, which will join two existing office buildings to be retained in the development. Offering an additional total of 180,000 ft² of commercial floorspace, the new office building will open up to a 1.2-acre greenspace located in the centre of the community, offering a lively pedestrian experience that serves both residents and workers alike.

Commercial building to be neighboured by extensive public greensapce, image courtesy of Almadev

As the project moves forward, more details will be provided on the later phases, which will see the construction of two more residential towers and mid-rise buildings. “This is an area we strongly believe in, as we recently completed our master-planned community, Emerald City, just down the street last year,” said Lazer. “It’s fortuitous timing that just as we close one chapter, we begin another. We look forward to continuing building our legacy in this area.

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, 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.

* * *

UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.

Related Companies:

Almadev, Bousfields, Counterpoint Engineering, EQ Building Performance Inc., Ferris + Associates Inc., New Release Condo, Platinum Condo Deals, WZMH Architects