301 
In the Mimico area of South Etobicoke, Grand Park Village is moving forward under new ownership with Minto Communities GTA at the helm, following its acquisition from Freed Developments two years ago. Recent Site Plan Approval applications to the City of Toronto for two blocks within the larger development site have been revised to include increased building heights and added residential units. Designed by Wallman Architects, the development is positioned close to Mimico GO station.
Block D at the northwest corner of Audley and Newcastle streets, covers an area of 3,679m². It was previously occupied by industrial structures, including a warehouse and a carwash, both of which have been cleared to make way for the proposed high-rise mixed-use building.
Block E, across Audley Street to the east, is larger, with Portland Street as its northern limit, and an eastern extension of Newcastle Street forming is south and eastern limits. It spans roughly 19,100m², now partly vacant land interspersed with some existing low-rise employment uses.
The Grand Park Village proposal is one of several redevelopment plans by developers to convert this historically industrial zone into a mixed-use community following its designation by Toronto City Council — owing to the adjacent GO station — as a Regeneration Area. Minto's first move here is to tweak the plans to maximize buildable space. The revisions have required adjustments to the site-specific Zoning By-law via Minor Variance (MV) applications.
For Block D, the MV application seeks an increase from the previously approved 36 storeys to a 40-storey tower, rising to 133m. This building would boast 413 residential units with a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 28,270m², including 630m² of retail space on the ground floor of its 4-storey podium. Despite the increased height, the building would be accommodated within the previously approved GFA.
Block D calls for 126 motor vehicle parking spaces for residents and 37 for visitors within a three-level underground garage. There would be 440 long-term and 29 short-term bicycle parking spots. The building is set to be served by four elevators, or approximately one for every 104 units, indicating mostly acceptable wait times.
Block E’s revised plans also include taller towers, from the approved 20 and 24 storeys to 23 and 27 storeys, with new heights of 78.6m and 90.5m. Including the suites found in the C-shaped podium that would dominate the block, the proposed changes would bring the total residential units on Block E to 1,060, while its GFA would be 77,214m², including 802m² of daycare space, 1,509m² of office space, and 764m² of retail area. Ten elevators would be distributed across the complex, or one for every 106 units, also indicating mostly acceptable wait times.
Block E would offer 396 residential, 96 visitor, and 31 retail/office parking spaces within a two-level underground garage, alongside bicycle parking of 736 spaces for residents, 74 for visitors, and 15 for commercial use.
The applications propose five percent of the new units as affordable housing under the City’s Home Ownership Assistance Program Development Charges Deferral Program. A new public park and an adjacent POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly-accessible Space) are included on both blocks.
Located about 300m east of Mimico GO station, the development offers walking-distance fast access to Downtown Toronto via the frequent Lakeshore West corridor GO trains, while TTC bus services including the 76B Royal York South route which connects to Bloor Line 2 at Royal York station.
Adjacent proposals include 25 Audley Street at 25 storeys, and The Buckingham, featuring three towers ranging from 12 to 37 storeys, which began construction as part of the Grand Central Mimico development by Vandyk Properties, but which has been caught up in that company's receivership. Vandyk's next phase at 39 Newcastle Street is proposed as four towers ranging from 22 to 36 storeys, but had not started sales yet. Another proposal close by but by another developer is 21-25 Windsor Street which is proposed to include four towers, with heights spanning from 7 to 48 storeys. South of the rail corridor, among the redevelopments are West Six Urban Towns are under construction as low-rise rental and townhouse units at 3 and 4 storeys, 20 Fleeceline Road are proposed to feature dual 17-storey towers, and 2405 Lake Shore Boulevard West is proposed at 10 and 33 storeys.
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.
