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Plans are advancing to redevelop the City-owned Strachan House site at southeast corner of Wellington and Strachan, where CreateTO and the City of Toronto are preparing an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment to introduce a mixed-income residential community. The concept envisions 8-storey and 30-storey buildings in the King West–Liberty Village area with affordable housing, as part of the City’s Toronto Builds framework aimed at accelerating mixed-income rental development.
Within Spadina–Fort York ward, the 1.4-acre site, an assembly of 805 and 805A Wellington Street West and 53 Strachan Avenue, sits north of the Union Station Rail Corridor and west of a planned one-hectare park expansion at 801 Wellington Street West. Presently, the site contains the vacant Strachan House building, which formerly operated as a supportive housing residence run by the Homes First Society. The eastern portion of the property is currently occupied by the Garrison Flats Community Garden, while surrounding uses include established residential areas, plus open space and parkland. The entire property is listed on the City’s Heritage Register.
The current initiative seeks Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment approvals to enable a new mixed-income residential community on the site, while restoring its historic role as a location for supportive housing. The proposal forms part of the City’s housing strategy under the HousingTO 2020–2030 Action Plan, which targets tens of thousands of new homes across Toronto, including a major expansion of supportive housing.
The concept plan organizes the redevelopment around two new residential buildings. An 8-storey building on the east side of the site would provide approximately 80 supportive housing units, restoring the social housing function that previously operated there. These homes would be deeply affordable and paired with on-site services intended to help residents maintain housing stability. The City has recommended that the Homes First Society serve as the non-profit development and operating partner for the supportive housing component, delivering the wraparound supports required for residents transitioning out of homelessness or unstable living conditions.
On the west side of the site, a 30-storey rental tower would introduce up to 300 purpose-built rental homes. At least 20% of the units in the tower would be designated as affordable rental housing, with the remainder expected to be market rental homes.
The proposal includes measures to address both heritage and public space elements on the property. The heritage-listed Strachan House building and its identified attributes would be conserved, with design work continuing in coordination with City heritage staff. The Garrison Flats Community Garden, currently located on the eastern portion of the site, would be relocated to the new park planned immediately east at 801 Wellington Street West. The City would retain ownership of the land, potentially entering long-term lease agreements with development and operational partners as part of the Toronto Builds framework.
The property is located about 850m west of the future Ontario Line 3’s King–Bathurst station and roughly 1.2km northeast of Exhibition station, both under construction. Existing streetcar service along King Street West already provides frequent east–west transit through the neighbourhood, while the 63 Ossington bus connects to Bloor Line 1.
The proposal arrives amid continued intensification along the King Street West corridor and Liberty Village area. To the north, 952 King Street West has been proposed at 17 storeys, while the neighbouring 950 King Street West is currently under construction at 18 storeys. To the east, a cluster of proposals includes 689, 778, and 675 King Street West at 17, 20, and 21 storeys respectively, with The Yards featuring buildings ranging from 12 to 39 storeys. Further west, 17-storey 1071 King Street West is under construction, alongside proposals for Liberty Yard with three towers from 32 to 36 storeys, and 80 Lynn Williams at 44 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.
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