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Northcrest Developments is advancing a District Plan alongside Zoning By-law Amendment, and Draft Plan of Subdivision applications submitted to the City of Toronto for the Wilson District, a major new sub-area within the broader YZD (Downsview Airport Lands) redevelopment in North York. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with Adamson Associates Architects, the proposal outlines a 22-building mixed-use community with one building rising as high as 63 storeys. Located immediately adjacent to Wilson station on University Line 1, the site is the southernmost district within the larger masterplanned YZD community.
The 18ha (180,841m²) parcel extends north from Wilson Avenue between Dufferin Street and Allen Road and is adjacent to about 6 more hectares of TTC-owned lands. The site includes a stretch of the former Downsview Airport runway, surface parking areas, and leased lands. The surrounding context is varied, with low-rise residential neighbourhoods and a mix of emerging mid- and high-rise developments clustered around the station area.
Following the closure of airport operations, the 2024 Downsview Secondary Plan set out a long-term vision for the transformation of the overall 540-hectare Downsview lands. As one of 15 districts within this framework, the Wilson District is designated for mixed-use growth within a Major Transit Station Area centred on Wilson station.
The District Plan outlines a transit-oriented, mixed-use neighbourhood structured around a connected network of streets, parks, and development blocks. The proposal would introduce approximately 705,280m² of Gross Floor Area, including 635,780m² dedicated to residential uses, with an overall Floor Space Index of 3.9 times coverage of the parcel.
Heights would range from approximately 29m to 195m, or up to 63 storeys. Taller buildings would be concentrated toward the eastern portion of the site near the station or along major corridors including Wilson Avenue and Billy Bishop Way. Building heights would step down toward the west and north edges to provide a transition to adjacent lower-scale areas and future phases of development, with tower placements designed to maintain separation distances as per City guidelines.
The residential program would deliver 9,529 units, including 951 studios, 4,290 one-bedroom units, 2,859 two-bedroom units, and 1,429 units with three or more bedrooms. Complementing this would be 69,500m² of non-residential space, including 24,505m² of office uses, 23,690m² of retail and commercial space, and a mix of community-serving facilities. These include a planned elementary school, a district library, three childcare centres, and a flexible community space, alongside a hotel and a centrally located cultural destination referred to as the “District Heart.”
The extensive public realm network would introduce approximately 33,106m² of open space. This includes two public parks totalling 16,300m², a 5,351m² segment of the Green Spine along the eastern edge, and a series of POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly-accessible Spaces) throughout the site. Elements include the Runway Plaza, which repurposes part of the former airstrip as a pedestrian corridor, the curving “Arc” connection linking the district to Wilson station, and the Trailhead and other mid-block routes that reinforce permeability.
The area is served by multiple TTC bus routes, with stops located along Wilson Avenue and at the adjacent station. Existing cycling infrastructure in the immediate area is limited, with sharrows on Faywood Boulevard approximately 600m to the east, though the District Plan calls for a finer-grained street network with dedicated cycling facilities and pedestrian-focused design. Looking ahead, Wilson Avenue and Dufferin Street have been identified as candidates for transit priority improvements under the RapidTO program, while longer-term regional initiatives include the GO Expansion and a planned extension of Sheppard Line 4 currently being studied by Metrolinx.
To the northwest, the Hangar District, another component of the YZD masterplan, envisions 39 buildings rising to 23 storeys. To the east of the station across Allen Road is a growing cluster of development which includes the under-construction 50 Wilson Heights Boulevard community that will deliver six buildings between 11 and 16 storeys, and the nearby Express Condominiums on the Subway with three towers from 14 to 17 storeys. Additional proposals include a 34-storey tower at 2 Tippett Road and a five-tower development at 75 Billy Bishop Way, ranging from 21 to 49 storeys.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversations in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | Adamson Associates Architects, Aercoustics Engineering Ltd, Bousfields, Cicada Design Inc., Northcrest Developments, Urban Strategies Inc., Vortex Fire Consulting Inc. |
