LOBLAWS PLAZA: DEVELOPER’S PROPOSAL

The developer’s current proposal differs substantially from the previous one submitted in 2018. Most significantly, Bishop Marrocco High School is no longer part of the development, though Choice Properties says it continues efforts to acquire the property. This has radically changed the proposed street layout and plans for public open spaces. Below is a quick summary of the details:

Simplified site plan of the current development proposal

FAST FACTS

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL HISTORY: in 2009 the City conducted the Bloor-Dundas Avenue Study in consultation with the local community, subsequently enacting Site and Area Specific Policy (SASP) #335. It sets out development guidelines that call for a mid-rise development, among other details. In 2018, Choice Properties issued their first proposal, which introduced the idea of towers and expanded the site to include Bishop Marrocco High School. The approval process was delayed prior to the statutory community meeting. In July of 2022, the developer issued this current, revised proposal, which no longer includes the school property, among many other changes.

HOUSING UNITS & DENSITY: a total of 1,960 housing units are planned, which would introduce an estimated 3,500 residents to the neighbourhood along with 700 workers. This makes the proposed density nearly 800 residents per hectare, 950 including workers. As a comparison, the broader Roncesvalles neighbourhood has about 100 residents/hectare; New York’s Manhattan has 300. Another common measure of density is the ratio of building floor area relative to land area—known as the Floor Space Index (FSI). The current proposal has a 5.4 FSI (public park and streets excluded; 3.46 FSI if included). This is similar to other large, intensely developed sites, like in Liberty Village.

HOUSING MIX: 4% studio, 57% one-bedroom, 23% two-bedroom, and 16% three-bedroom. This meets the city’s requirements for multi-bedroom units and roughly mirrors typical household sizes for the city at large.

HOUSING TYPE: 38% rental and 62% owned units. Rentals include 8 replacement units for the existing apartment building to be demolished.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: the developer has said that there will be an affordable housing component, though the exact amount has not yet been stated. Apparently the City’s current inclusionary zoning policy (which has requirements for affordable housing) is not applicable because the application’s submission date preceeds it.

RETAIL & OFFICE: 11% of the building floor area will be for retail and offices, split about evenly. The new Loblaws grocery store is proposed to be located on a second floor.

BUILDING FORM: there will be five towers ranging from 22–38 storeys tall. These are integrated into podium buildings that average about 7 storeys, with parts of those and other buildings on the site varying from 1–10 storeys.

PUBLIC PARK: a new 4,400 square metres (1 acre) park is located in the middle of the site surrounded by new buildings.

OTHER OPEN SPACES: there will be another 5,000 square metres (1.25 acres) of other privately-owned, publicly-accessible open spaces; designated by the developer as “Railway Walk & Meadow”, “Ritchie Garden”, and “South Garden Walk.”

STREET CONNECTIONS: The proposal connects Ritchie Ave directly to the development’s new street grid. Herman Ave is linked by pedestrian access only. This would have the existing intersection of Ritchie and Dundas Avenues serve as additional vehicular access for the site’s new businesses and residents.

PARKING: 655 car parking spots are provided in total, of which 344 are intended for residents. We’ve been told that the development site will be excluded from our street parking zone in an effort to ease the burden placed on the neighbourhood.

TIMELINE: the developer plans to complete the project in 5 phases over about 19 years.

For more information about the current development proposal, visit the City’s application portal and search for 2280 Dundas St W; clicking on the 2022 documents. Alternatively, you can view Choice Properties’ website, though it’s not known if their documents differ in any way from those officially submitted.