In this week’s UTPro Instant Report, we continue our journey around the GTHA, exploring the fastest developing areas in the region, and the trends emerging in those areas, through exclusive data generated by our UTPro service. For today’s story, it’s an area within Toronto’s northernmost borough, North York, in the spotlight. 

Specifically, today’s story is framed around a custom location report, which instantly creates a list of all projects within an 800 metre radius of any given address; in this case, that address is 999 Sheppard Avenue East. Located just north of Highway 401, bound by Leslie Street to the east and Bayview Avenue to the West, our custom area features a collection of projects flanking both sides of Sheppard Avenue East, a street that has emerged as the focal point for intensification in the area due to its development friendly mixed-use designation in the City’s Official Plan.

Maps view of Custom Area, with 29 total projects, image from UTPro Instant Report

Our Custom Report identified a total of 29 projects located within an 800 metre radius of the starting address. Interestingly, only six projects were listed as currently under construction, with another 11 in the planning and/or sales stage; the remaining 12 projects were listed as complete, indicating that the area has been an established node for development for some time. 

Beginning with a look at this large group of completed projects, the list goes back well over a decade, and includes projects of varying scales. The Village Residences could be seen as the average in this group, standing at 10 storeys, and offering a total of 210 units; completed in 2020, the mid-rise condo development brings some light density in a form that is well scaled for a mixed-use streetscape. 

Looking south to the 10-storey Village Residences, completed in 2020, image by Ed Skira

Meanwhile, looking at the group of projects currently under construction, King’s Landing at Concord Park Place offers a glimpse at the other side of the development spectrum in this area, the multi-tower, high-density community. Currently rising through the early stages of forming work, the project will see the addition of towers of 19, 27, and 31 storeys, bringing an additional 990 units to the existing Concord Park Place community, 

Three-tower King's Landing development under construction at Concord Park Place, image by UT Forum contributor Jules

Finally, in the pre-construction group we have a project that strikes a balance between the previous two scale-wise, 720 Sheppard East. The proposal contemplates the intensification of a block-wide parcel of land with a predominantly mid-rise building, peaking at the site’s prominent corner with a 20-storey tower. Located a minute's walk from Bessarion Station, the project would deliver 432 units to a Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) within a relatively compact massing. 

Looking southeast to the proposed design of the 20-storey 720 Sheppard East development, image from submission to City of Toronto

Additionally, our Custom Report also offers a breakdown of how these 29 projects program their interior floor space. The graphic below shows that over 85% of the gross floor area (GFA) is for residential uses, while commercial uses see a 14.1% share, mainly represented in grade-level retail units. 

GFA Breakdown graphic shows programming of floorspace across all projects, image from UTPro Instant Report

What our report suggests about this specific pocket of North York is that, just over twenty years since the Sheppard Line 4 subway opened, the rapid transit access here continues to make it a draw for new development. Now that MTSA designations have been established around subway stations in Toronto, larger proposals could be coming for remaining redevelopable land assemblies here.

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As UrbanToronto continues to refine its role in the GTA development industry, our data services have evolved to become one of our defining elements and we want to share those capabilities with our community. The UrbanToronto Pro Instant Reports is just one of the ways our data can be applied to provide quick and convenient insights on the development trends of any area in the GTA, with filters for Wards MLS Zones, and Custom Areas.