The “Let’s Build Program”
The first four City-owned sites
The City’s new “Housing First Policy” produced the Let’s Build Program and the Capital Revolving Fund. These initiatives are directed at the development of affordable housing on City-owned land and on land and in buildings owned by the private and institutional sectors.
The City, on an ongoing basis, will make parcels of its own surplus land available for the development of affordable housing. The first four parcels of surplus land were made available through a “Let’s Build” proposal call issued in the fall of 1999. That call elicited almost 60 responses, of which 23 were directed at the four sites. Through a detailed review process, the list was reduced to nine and, by April 2000, four preferred proponents were isolated for more detailed discussion. The intention is to arrive at a contractual arrangement acceptable to the City and the proponents that would allow development to proceed on site. The first four preferred proponents are all, in one form or another, led by a strong, community-based non-profit organization. Each was able to convince a selection committee that they had the necessary characteristics to ensure development success. The projects range from a Single Room Occupancy project that will house mostly low-income singles, to a family-oriented townhouse/apartment structure.
419–425 Coxwell Avenue
This site was acquired by the City in 1988 as part of a Section 37 Agreement under the Planning Act. It is situated on the east side of Coxwell Avenue, north of Gerrard Street East.
The industrial building that originally occupied 425 Coxwell has been demolished, except for a small portion used to contain PCBs. Any redevelopment of the site will have to retain them in approved storage or relocate them in an approved manner. The building at 419 Coxwell remains in place. A fire occurred in this building in late 1991.
A 90-unit social housing development had received municipal and Ontario Municipal Board approval in 1991, but the project was aborted by the provincial government’s cancellation of the non-profit housing program in 1995. It had provided for new townhouses on the northerly part of the site and 30 loft-style units at 419. Upon cancellation of the housing program, Toronto City Council placed the northerly 20m of the site under the jurisdiction of the Parks Department, thereby reducing the site’s frontage to approximately 71.5m. With a depth of about 74m, the site area available for development is about 5,297m2.
A variety of land uses surround this site. Immediately to the north is a strip of land owned by the Separate School Board, used for access to Georges- Étienne Cartier school to the east of the site. The design of the 20m-strip of 425 Coxwell, which was designated for the City’s Parks Division, will take into account the School Board land by providing a more generous and attractive approach to the school from the west in addition to enhancing residential development on the subject lands. A property further to the north abuts the main east-west CN railway corridor.
The underlying zoning permits a development density of 0.6 times the area of the site. The Official Plan permits development up to one times coverage, which would allow the development of 53 units, assuming an average gross floor area of 100m2 per unit. As an existing building is in place on the 419 site, its reuse as contemplated in the approved site-specific zoning could yield 30 units. The remaining vacant land of the 425 Coxwell site has the potential for an additional 31 units at the density permitted in the Official Plan.
The presence of the existing building on the 419 Coxwell site offers an interesting opportunity for reuse of the shell. The previously approved development suggests one possible approach to it, using the rear of the first level for parking, with the bulk of the building being renovated to provide loft-style apartments.
2350 Finch Avenue West
This site was the former location of a firehall. It is situated on the north side of Finch Avenue West, just west of Weston Road. It has an area of 2,127m2 with 45.7m of frontage on Finch, and a depth of about 44.7m.
A revitalization study of the area to bring about improvements benefiting both residential and business users is underway. The preferred proponent has agreed to work as part of this ongoing process. The developer that will provide new affordable housing on this site could make a positive contribution to the re-urbanization of the area. To the extent that a housing development will be a change of use requiring planning approval, participation in this revitalization study process will be necessary to achieve the required rezoning and/or Official Plan Amendment. The redevelopment of this City-owned site could initiate an incremental process of change to the northwest corner of the Finch/Weston Road intersection while the larger changes to the southeast are gearing up.
The Official Plan designation is Industrial – Subcentre, and the zoning designation is mixed industrial under the former North York bylaw. A change will be required to accommodate a residential use.
While objectives will be derived in part from the neighbourhood revitalization study, basic principles of urban design are expected to be observed: The building should be parallel to the street to establish a street edge and to define the public realm; any surface parking should be behind the building; and the ground floor should contain uses to animate the street.
1978 Lakeshore Boulevard West
The site is situated at the northwest corner of Lakeshore Boulevard and Windermere. Its area is about 1,193.8m2. The City acquired the property from the Toronto Harbour Commissioners in 1995. It is currently occupied by an Olco gas station, under a lease assigned by Joy Realty Ltd, which expired in November 1999.
The white brick, turreted gas station was erected in 1937, and designated a historic site by Bylaw 415-89. It is the only surviving Joy Oil Service Station in the City. The two structures should be preserved and reused within any proposed development. Heritage Toronto has requested that a developer enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City.
The site is currently zoned to permit one times residential coverage, and a total of two times on the site. An L-shaped, single aspect structure to the north of the two gas stations would protect the site and the historic structures from road and rail noise.
The Maria Shchuka Library site
The existing Maria A. Shchuka District Library is located on the southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue West and Northcliffe Boulevard. The Eglinton frontage is a “main street” of commercial and residential uses; Northcliffe is residential in a mix of forms, from single detached to multi-storey apartments.
The existing site area is about 2,453 m2, including surface parking and two existing houses owned by the library on Northcliffe Boulevard, south of the lane. The total permitted building gross floor area is 2.5 times the site area or about 6,131 m2 on the entire land holding. Given a building area for the library and the Youth Resource Centre totalling 2,555 m2, there remains 3,577 gross m2, which can be devoted to housing. A separate housing building can be constructed, south of the library, with its address and entry off Northcliffe Boulevard.
In the Official Plan, the northern portion of the site is designated mixed use and the southern portion is high density residential. Both portions provide for up to 2.5 times coverage and a height limit of eight storeys or 24m. Each residential unit must be provided with 2.0m2 of amenity space.
Any housing component on this site should be provided in a small but cost-efficient rental apartment building lining Northcliffe Boulevard. The perceived need is for “youth-oriented” housing, an appropriate match for the library and resource centre to the north. The owner of any housing to be built on the site should have strong connections to the local community and a good understanding of its housing and social needs. Coordination with the Library Board and its architect (A. J. Diamond, Donald Schmitt & Co.) on the overall development concept will be required.
Mark Guslits
