2.7K 
Nestled at the north end of The West Mall in Etobicoke, just west of Highway 427, is a piece of land that has witnessed the gradual evolution of Toronto's suburban landscape. The development application from H&R Developments for 710 The West Mall replaces a mid-rise that was proposed in 2018 with a taller building.
The site is located to the north and east of curving suburban streets The West Mall, Wellesworth Drive, and Dixfield Drive. At its centre is a 12-storey Tower-in-the-Park style rental apartment building at 70 Dixfield Drive, approximately 50 years old. As was the style when it was built, it was surrounded variously by landscaped lawns and surface parking, while in one area is an outdoor pool. To its north is a low-rise neighbourhood, while to the east are two C-shaped 19-storey apartment buildings that back on the 427.
The planning rationale prepared by the Goldberg Group outlines this evolving plans for intensifying the lot, replacing some of the lawns, surface parking, and the outdoor pool with new housing, starting in 2018 when the developer envisioned a 6-storey residential building on the east side of the site. It was to house 58 dwelling units and stand 19m tall. The Gross Floor Space Index (FSI) for this initial blueprint was a modest 1.39.
Along the north side of the site, a trio of 3-storey townhome blocks were proposed. The plans got zoning approval, the site was severed into three parcels, and while the mid-rise above was not built, the 42 rental townhomes, designed by Kirkor Architects Planners, have since been constructed. Their new address is 62 Dixfield Drive.
H&R Development's recent submission, also designed by Kirkor Architects Planners, looks to add much for density at the 710 The West Mall portion of the site at the east end of the larger site. The new design proposes a 22-storey rental apartment building encompassing 282 dwelling units and standing at 76.85m. With a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 21,641m², the revised gross FSI stands at 2.25. The building's infrastructure is set to include three elevators, ensuring a balanced distribution of approximately 94 units per elevator.
The new vision for 710 The West Mall expands the amenity offers, with a sprawling 1,429m² of amenity space, inclusive of 646m² indoors and 783m² outdoors. The amenity space includes a gym, a multipurpose room, and an indoor pool, all of which would be shared with the residents of 62 and 70 Dixfield Drive.
The resubmission calls for an underground garage spanning three levels that would house 225 motor vehicle parking spaces. Of these, 15 would be allocated to visitors and 13 to 70 Dixfield Drive. For cyclists, 215 spaces are proposed, with 195 long-term and 20 short-term spots.
Beyond the building, residents will have access to TTC bus routes playing Rathburn Road and The West Mall that provide service close to the site. In the near future, the West Mall bus will service Renforth station , currently under construction as part of the Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT west extension. For those preferring to drive, the site is a mere 2-minute drive from Highway 427.
There are other Tower-in-the-Park site intensifications nearby, like the 21-story 555 The West Mall, and the 24 & 25-story structures at 600 and 630 The East Mall, all of which will add to the increasingly vertical neighbourhoods lining wither side of this section of Highway 427.
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: | Goldberg Group, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, Kirkor Architects Planners, STUDIO tla |
