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Construction is set to move ahead on the next chapter of the Regent Park revitalization, as officials gathered yesterday to mark the ground breaking on a 26-storey affordable rental tower at the southeast corner of Gerrard Street East and Dreamers Way. Mayor Olivia Chow was joined by Toronto Centre Councillor Chris Moise, Member of Parliament Evan Solomon, representatives from the Province of Ontario, and Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) CEO Sean Baird.
The building, known as Regent Park Building 4A, will deliver a mix of replacement rent-geared-to-income homes and new affordable rental units, as the first of 11 buildings planned in the revitalization’s final two phases.
“The City of Toronto is building more affordable housing and strengthening communities across our city,” said Chow. “With investments of over $100 million from the City of Toronto and Toronto Community Housing, along with funding from the Government of Canada and support from the Province of Ontario, we are breaking ground on 271 affordable homes in Regent Park.”
Designed by architects—Alliance in collaboration with COBE Architects for Toronto Community Housing, with Tridel as development partner, the 87.01m-tall tower will rise 26 storeys from a 3,855m² site. All 271 homes are purpose-built rental units, comprising 136 replacement rent-geared-to-income suites and 135 net-new affordable rentals. The unit mix is weighted toward larger households, including 110 two-bedroom and 143 three-bedroom-plus layouts, in addition to 19 one-bedroom units.
Delivery is supported by a combined capital investment of more than $219 million. The City of Toronto is contributing $50.7 million, while the Government of Canada is providing $86 million through the Affordable Housing Fund. Toronto Community Housing Corporation is investing $82.5 million toward the project’s construction. The Province of Ontario has provided more than $7.6 million since 2018 to remediate the lands in preparation for development, and the City is expected to extend an additional estimated $14 million in financial incentives and property tax relief.
Building 4A forms part of the long-running transformation of Regent Park, a 69-acre redevelopment effort in Toronto’s downtown east that began in 2006. The first three phases, led by The Daniels Corporation, delivered more than 6,000 homes while replacing all original rent-geared-to-income units on a one-for-one basis. The final two phases, to be advanced by Tridel across five development blocks, are planned to introduce 11 new buildings and have the potential to add more than 3,400 replacement and new affordable rental homes, if full funding continues. In addition to housing, the remaining phases are expected to bring new retail frontages along Gerrard Street plus a new library branch.
“Regent Park is a vibrant, growing, and thriving community that welcomes such a diverse range of people, and this new building and its 271 affordable units will continue to strengthen Regent Park’s revitalization and evolution,” said Councillor Chris Moise of Toronto Centre. “Support from the Government of Canada ensures that this community will remain affordable and accessible to the next generation – and future generations – of Regent Park residents.”
Beyond its role on Building 4A, Tridel has committed $26.8 million in community benefits funding tied to the final phases, described as the largest cash contribution of its kind for a residential project in Canada. The new construction complements ongoing federal support for TCHC’s broader portfolio, including a previously announced $1.34 billion commitment toward capital repairs through 2027, aimed at preserving existing social housing stock while new affordable homes come online.
The project is now moving toward its targeted 2029 occupancy date.
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