2.6K 
A multi-building proposal at 43 Junction Road in Toronto’s Stockyards District has been revised in a resubmitted Official Plan Amendment application. Designed by Core Architects for Diamond Corp, the updated plan greatly reduces proposed employment uses while adjusting the affordable housing terms. The six-tower development would now range from 18 to 35 storeys.
The 2.6-hectare site at 5 and 43 Junction Road is bordered by Keele Street to the west, Junction Road to the north, and rail corridors to the east and south. Currently, the site includes surface parking and commercial uses like an LA Fitness, an Organic Garage grocery store, and a security office. A medical office located in the northeast corner of the site would be retained as part of the redevelopment. The surrounding neighbourhood features a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial uses.
In 2021, an initial application proposed six residential towers with nearly 1,888 units and 6,728m² of employment space. The developer revised the proposal in 2023 to include a 6-storey office podium. The latest revision to 43 Junction significantly reduces the amount of employment space, slashing the non-residential Gross Floor Area (GFA) to just 3,095m² of retail use, a shift driven by market challenges, such as rising office vacancy rates and the lasting impacts of remote work trends.
The revised plan would also modify the affordable housing obligation. Initially, the commitment was that affordable units would be maintained for 99 years, but this has now been reduced to a 25-year term. The developer has attributed this change to the legal and operational complexities of enforcing such a long-term obligation and the site falling outside of any Major Transit Station Areas (MTSA). The commitment aims to deliver approximately 80 to 100 affordable units, representing 5% of the residential GFA set at Average Market Rent (AMR).
The revised plan proposes 124,834m² of residential GFA with 2,001 residential units, a reduction from the previous plan’s 126,453m² of residential GFA and 2,593 units. It includes approximately 5,185m² of combined indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, down from 6,628m² in the earlier proposal. Outdoor amenities would now total 2,463m², with indoor amenities at 2,755m². Parking has been adjusted slightly, with 1,048 car spaces across three phases, compared to 1,056 previously. Bicycle parking has been increased to 2,231 spaces.
Phase 1 would feature 1,017 units across three buildings at 18 storeys (66.50m), 26 storeys (90.50m), and 35 storeys (117.50m). The shorter towers would sit on a shared podium, which would transition from a 7-storey height along Junction Road to a 4-storey streetwall. The podium would include retail spaces, such as a grocery store, with a GFA of approximately 58,697m².
Its three-level underground garage would provide 478 car parking spaces and 1,133 bicycle parking spaces. With nine elevators servicing the three buildings, Phase 1 would offer a ratio of one elevator per approximately 113 units, indicating longer than preferable wait times.
Phase 2 would house 24-storey (84.50m) and 35-storey (117.50m) towers adjacent to the newly relocated public park spanning 2,380m². There would be 716 residential units with seven elevators, or approximately one elevator per 102 units. The GFA would be 49,187m². The single-level underground garage in Phase 2 would include 369 car parking spaces and 794 bicycle parking spaces.
Phase 3 comprises a single 18-storey tower standing at 63m. This building is significantly scaled back from the previous two-tower proposal to maintain a mid-rise form along Keele Street. With 268 residential units and three elevators, there would be approximately one elevator per 89 units, indicating minimal wait times for residents. The GFA would be approximately 19,993m². The single-level underground garage shared with Phase 2 would offer 202 car parking spaces and 304 bicycle parking spaces.
Currently, the area is served by the 512 St Clair streetcar and several TTC bus routes. The development is located approximately 900m south of the future St Clair-Old Weston GO station.
Surrounding the site are mid-rise and high-rise proposals. To the south, mid-rise projects include the 5-storey Junction SQ Condos currently under construction, alongside proposed developments like 2760 Dundas West at six storeys and 403 Keele Street at 11 storeys. To the east, 189 Old Weston Road proposes three buildings ranging from 8 to 27 storeys. Northward, closer to St. Clair Avenue West, larger proposals include the 29-storey proposal at 290 Old Weston Road, the 33-storey tower at 611 Keele, Juno Residences with three towers rising from 8 to 35 storeys, and 1799 St. Clair West planning three towers between 30 and 45 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.
| Related Companies: | Colliers Strategy & Consulting, Core Architects, Diamond Corp, EQ Building Performance Inc., RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering, SvN |
