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Just east of Bramalea City Centre in Brampton, a development proposal is set to bring more affordable housing to the northwestern part of the Greater Toronto Area. Peel Housing Corporation has submitted a revised Zoning By-law Amendment application for Chelsea Gardens, a 20-storey affordable rental apartment building. Located at 10 Knightsbridge Road, this infill development aims to bring 200 new affordable rental units to the city on a Tower-in-the-Park style property where there are already two 13-storey rental apartment buildings.
Situated on the north side of Knightsbridge Road, between Central Park Drive and Kings Cross Road, the site is currently part of a half-acre parcel of underutilized space. It is immediately adjacent to Knightsbridge Park and a short walking distance Chinguacousy Park, and is also close to the Bramalea Bus Terminal and Toronto Metropolitan University's upcoming medical school location beside Bramalea City Centre mall.
A Statutory Public Meeting was held in June 2022, prior to the approval of the Zoning By-law in January 2023. The Zoning By-law amendments increased the maximum number of dwelling units on the property from 250 to 450, and reduced various yard and spacing requirements. These changes are designed to make efficient use of the land while adhering to the City's planning objectives. The Floor Space Index (FSI) sees an increase from 1.5 currently to 2.6 with the new building added.
Key issues raised at the meeting included concerns about parking and increased traffic. However, the traffic impact study concluded that the existing road network could accommodate the additional traffic. Moreover, the development's close proximity to the Bramalea Bus Terminal and the provision of bicycle parking spaces are expected to result in good use of public and active transportation.
One level of underground garage would provide a total of 77 parking spaces. Of these, 47 spaces are allocated for residents and 30 for visitors. Six spaces would be provided at grade level, while the remaining spaces would be part of an extension to the existing below-grade parking structure. There would also be 120 bicycle parking spaces provided as part of a push towards more environmentally-friendly building features.
As the Region's public non-profit housing agency, Peel Housing Corporation has committed to sustainable development, targeting a Zero Carbon Design in adherence with the Region’s Net Zero Emission standard. The building will utilize a geothermal loop with a distributed geothermal heat pump system, energy recovery on most ventilation systems, and ultra-low flow fixtures to achieve its sustainability goals.
The architectural design by Montgomery Sisam Architects breaks the building massing into a series of interconnected volumes. This approach not only reduces the verticality of the structure but also adds visual interest and creates a more pedestrian-friendly scale, with the 20-storey building standing at a height of 67.3m.
The ground floor would feature a multi-purpose room with an area of 102m², along with shared amenity spaces, while the second level would offer additional amenity spaces and residential units. The multi-purpose room would be at the northwest corner of the site, next to the outdoor amenity area.
The Region of Peel's affordable housing needs assessment, conducted in July 2021, identified the demand for more affordable housing, finding a growing number of seniors and a high proportion of families in the area, and highlighted that 32% of all households in the study area were in 'core housing need,' further emphasizing the importance of this development.
As a result, approximately 41% of the units in the new building would be rented at rates below 60% of the City of Brampton’s median market rental rate. Additionally, 21% of the units would be barrier-free, ensuring accessibility for all residents. This development is part of Peel Housing Corporation's long-term capital infrastructure plan and is one of 31 projects that aim to advance the 10-year Peel Housing and Homelessness Plan.
Located close to Highways 407 and 410, and within the Central Park/Bramalea Terminal Major Transit Station Area (MTSA), the Peel Housing Corporation argues that the development aligns with the City of Brampton's goals to create complete, walkable, and transit-supportive communities.
Chelsea Gardens (seen shaded in white at the centre of the image above) is part of a number of proposals within the MTSA. Northwest of the site, the retail plaza site at 25 Kings Cross Road is proposed to be redeveloped with four buildings as high as 22 storeys with 488 total units (seen shaded in light brown in the image above). Closer to Queen Street East, 2 & Hanover Road is proposed to have 12 and 28-storey towers with 395 units, and Kings Cross Condos calls for two towers at 30 and 33 storeys, with 704 units. These proposals, all similar in heights and densities, point to the intensification of the predominantly Tower-in-the-Park style properties in the 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.
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