Location: 3585 Saint Clair Avenue East, Toronto
Developer: Republic Developments
Architect: Giannone Petricone Associates Inc.
A 25-acre expanse of properties located between St. Clair Avenue East, Kennedy Road and the Scarborough GO Train station could make way for a master-planned community.
In late October, an Official Plan Amendment (OPA), draft plan of subdivision and rezoning application was submitted to city planners to construct a mixed-use community with 6,619 residential units at 3585 Saint Clair Avenue East. The site would span multiple lots, and incorporate new retail, park and residential uses. The architect, Giannone Petricone Associates, is also behind other master-planned projects in the Greater Toronto Area, including 250 The East Mall Condos and Agincourt Mall Redevelopment.
The development lands are located on the south side of St. Clair Avenue East within an area known as the Scarborough Junction Triangle, according to the planning rationale by Bousfields Inc. Consisting of 12 industrial and commercial-type properties, the site is split into two parcels, bordered by Kennedy Road to the west, St. Clair Avenue East to the north and the Metrolinx GO Transit rail corridor to the southeast.
This is not the first time that development applications have been proposed for this area. In 1998, an OPA was filed for a mixed-residential and commercial project on an 19.7-acre portion of the site. Rezoning applications were later filed and then appealed in 2006. The application went through revisions from 2006 to 2012, and a Settlement Approval was granted in April 2019, explains the planning rationale.
The Scarborough Junction Master Plan seeks to create three large sites within the triangle that contain new streets, buildings and park space. The recent development application focuses on Site A, with Sites B and C used as a reference but not formally included in the application.
Redeveloping the subject Site A would create a 201,715-square-foot public park with 10 development blocks containing buildings ranging from 12 to 48 storeys in height.
Seventeen high-rise buildings with mid-rise base structures are proposed for Site A. Of the 6,619 proposed residential suites, the breakdown consists of 379 studio, 4,509 one-bedroom, 1,058 two-bedroom and 673 three-bedroom units. According to the project’s data sheet, the residential units would include both condominium and rental uses.
Approximately 317,621 square feet of total residential amenity space would be provided for indoor and outdoor use. A total of 3,666 parking spaces are proposed for Site A, located in a series of underground garages. The application also includes 7,336 bicycle parking spaces for long- and short-term use.
In the southern part of Site A in Block J, a 201,715-square-foot public park would be constructed adjacent to the railway corridor as a central focal point of the master-planned community. Landscaped pathways, event spaces, sport courts, lawn space and a children’s playground with play structures are being considered for the park area.
Landscaping features, seating areas and patio spaces are also proposed in various sections of Site A, such as the 7,588-square-foot Station Plaza and 36,769-square-foot Retail Square. According to architectural drawings, space for a grocery store, daycare, retail and community rooms are proposed.
In the neighbourhood, Merge Condos continues sales while registration is underway at Nahid on Kennedy.
