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Long-anticipated plans to redevelop provincial land at Lawrence Avenue East and McCowan Road have moved forward with a refreshed vision for a major transit-oriented community in Scarborough. Designed by Weston Williamson + Partners for Infrastructure Ontario, the updated plans for the Lawrence East Transit-Oriented Community refine the mix of uses and public spaces around the future subway station, part of the Danforth Line 2 Scarborough Subway Extension.
In comparison to UrbanToronto’s recent coverage of the increased height and density seen in the updated plans for the Exhibition Station Transit-Oriented Community, this new concept retains three towers of the same height, rising from 24 to 36 storeys.
Following community consultation and detailed engineering studies, the revised design also addresses ground settlement risks by repositioning the towers and reconfiguring the six-storey podium. The podium would house 6,444m² of office space and 1,400m² of retail, along with flexible areas that could accommodate community services. Three new privately owned POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly-accessible space) and pedestrian connections round out the plan, which builds on the province’s broader Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) program.
Situated at 3091 Lawrence Avenue East on the southeast corner with McCowan Road, the 1-hectare site is currently occupied by a single-storey commercial building facing the intersection and a two-storey plaza to the south. The surrounding context is a mix of low-rise suburban development, including detached homes, small commercial strips, with Scarborough General Hospital across the intersection on the northwest corner.
Initial planning began in 2023, followed by community engagement through open houses and a Local Advisory Committee process. The revised concept, unveiled at the recent open house held on June 10, 2025, features two 24-storey towers (now 88m, slightly higher than the 86.5m original plan) and one rising to 36 storeys (135.5m, slightly higher than the original 132m plan). The residential program now targets 738 suites, down from 774, though design updates have introduced a higher proportion of lerger three-bedroom layouts to better accommodate families and align with Growing Up Toronto guidelines.
Altogether, the development’s Gross Floor Area has grown slightly to 58,481m², up from approximately 58,400m². Residential space accounts for 52,446m². The podium has been reconfigured with flexible areas on the second floor, creating potential for daycare, youth centres, or other community services. Vertical circulation would be handled by ten elevators across the towers (four in the tallest building and three in each mid-rise), resulting in a ratio of about one per 74 units, indicating good response times.
Below grade, a two-level underground garage would provide 220 motor vehicle parking spaces, down slightly from 228. Bicycle storage has increased, however, from 603 to 720 spots. At grade, the proposal’s three new POPS replace the original single plaza concept. These varied outdoor areas are linked by upgraded pedestrian pathways and a regraded plaza connection to the future station entrance.
The site benefits from immediate access to TTC bus routes along both Lawrence Avenue and McCowan Road. It is located approximately 3.3km northeast of Kennedy station, and 2.4km south of the future Scarborough Centre Station, also currently under construction.
Infrastructure Ontario intends to continue refining the proposal through further technical studies and engagement with the City of Toronto and local stakeholders. The next phases will include additional advisory committee meetings and formal planning submissions, with construction anticipated to align with the Scarborough Subway Extension’s delivery schedule in the coming years.
The TOC would join a growing number of mid- and high-rise proposals in this area of Scarborough. To the east, Greencedar Commons is planned as an 11-storey residential building, while 799 Brimley Road to the west envisions a 24-storey tower. South of the site, 615 McCowan Road has been proposed at 25 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, which contains many more new renderings. 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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