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Don Summerville has officially opened at Queen Street East and Eastern Avenue in Leslieville, marking the completion of a five-year revitalization effort that has transformed the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) site into a mixed-tenure community. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, October 1, Mayor Olivia Chow was joined by Councillor Paula Fletcher, MP Julie Dabrusin, and representatives from TCHC, Context Development, and RioCan Living.
The 3.3-acre site, once home to 120 aging, rent-geared-to-income apartments, now boasts three new buildings designed by Teeple Architects: the 10-storey Don Summerville replacement housing on the east end, the 16-storey Bridge market rental building, and the 17-storey Queen & Ashbridge condominium building developed by Context and RioCan on the west end of the site. Together, they bring a mix of RGI, affordable, market rental, and ownership units, integrated with retail space, a publicly accessible open space, and landscaped courtyards, all delivered at no cost to the City through private-sector investment.
“Soon residents will start moving into the newly revitalized Don Summerville community,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “Every Torontonian deserves to live in a home that they’re proud of, and in a neighbourhood where they can thrive, like the future residents of Don Summerville will. This community is a model of what we can achieve across the City, and we will continue identifying communities and opportunities where we can do the same.”
“I’ve been very fortunate as the local Councillor to have been part of this groundbreaking project from its inception and to the official opening of this beautiful, new, fully mixed community,” added Paula Fletcher, Councillor for Toronto-Danforth.
The new buildings collectively introduce a mix of 138 replacement and affordable rental homes in Don Summerville, 183 market rental suites in The Bridge, and 367 condominium residences in Queen & Ashbridge. This substantial increase in housing supply aligns with the City’s HousingTO targets, while providing a spectrum of housing types aimed at supporting residents of varied income levels.
Don Summerville delivers 103 rent-geared-to-income apartments along with 35 additional affordable units, while The Bridge adds 183 market rental suites. Queen & Ashbridge contributes 367 condominiums, and within the rental and ownership buildings, another 82 homes are secured at below-market rates.
Several initiatives strengthen the affordability component beyond the replacement units. Fifty apartments are reserved for women and their families through partnerships with community agencies, while 32 co-operative units (split between affordable and rent-geared-to-income homes) are being allocated in part to artists.
“I’m excited to welcome Toronto Community Housing tenants back into Don Summerville, as well as the new market rental tenants and condo owners that they’ll live alongside. As a result of this revitalization, TCHC and the City have been able to create more than six times more homes on this site than originally existed,” shared Sean Baird, TCHC President and CEO.
At grade, 16,000 ft² of retail space is distributed along Queen Street East and Eastern Avenue, creating opportunities for shops, services, and local employment. A POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly-accessible Space) anchors the site, offering landscaped gathering areas that connect to pedestrian corridors.
The community is situated beside the 501 Queen streetcar, Coxwell Avenue bus routes, and the Martin Goodman Trail along the waterfront. Landscaped courtyards, tree-lined sidewalks, and plazas weave through the development, extending public space into the site while linking to established streetscapes in Leslieville.
The development combines white composite cladding panels with accents of red brick and black-framed glazing. Curtainwall glazing defines the retail levels, while projecting balconies with glass or solid guards articulate the residential floors above. The stepped-back upper levels create terraces and rooftop gardens on the market rental and condo buildings.
Construction began in 2020, with the buildings topped off by mid-2024, followed by extensive work on cladding, glazing, and landscape features through Spring 2025. Residents began moving into the condominium and market rental towers over the summer, while finishing touches continued on the TCHC building. With the official opening of Don Summerville, all three components are now occupying.
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