Location: 685 Warden Avenue, Scarborough
Developer: Choice Properties REIT
Architect: Turner Fleischer Architects
A vacant patch of land in Scarborough’s Birchmount Park neighbourhood could get an upgrade thanks to a recently submitted development proposal.
In early July, an Official Plan Amendment, Rezoning and Draft Plan of Subdivision Application was submitted to the City to transform a vacant site at 683-685 Warden Avenue into a mixed-use project with over 1,500 new condominiums. The same developer, Choice Properties REIT, proposed another large-scale project earlier this year in partnership with The Daniels Corporation, the Golden Mile Shopping Centre Redevelopment.
The development site is located on the east side of Warden Avenue, slightly south of St. Clair Avenue East and the Warden TTC Subway Station. The rectangular lot spans approximately 6.5 acres, and is currently vacant, having been previously occupied by a one-storey industrial building and a rail spur owned by former Geco CN.
According to the application’s planning rationale by Bousfields Inc, a rear portion of the land was severed from the former Geco CN rail spur in 2004 and conveyed to “Loblaw,” the former owner of the land. Two years later, Loblaw submitted a Rezoning and Site Plan Control application to build commercial uses and a grocery store on the consolidated lands. After appealing local planning amendments and submitting a revised application in 2007, Loblaw appealed their Rezoning and Site Plan Approval applications to the OMB, which have since been closed and withdrawn.
The latest proposal for the site would see the creation of a new road, a public park and six residential towers, referred to as Buildings A to F, ranging from 13 to 36 storeys in height. The new “C-shaped” public road would act as a perimeter around the site, with the six buildings constructed within the interior and an internal north-south private road bisecting the development.
The proposed 1,519 residences would be broken down as 928 one-bedroom and one-plus-den suites, 452 two-bedroom and 139 three-bedroom units. According to the application’s project data sheet, the homes would be tenured as condos.
Pedestrians would be able to enter the development through a central open space and travel along a pedestrian connection (POPS) that slopes up from Warden Avenue and leads through the site towards the new public park to the east. The (POPS) would be accompanied by outdoor landscaped areas and outdoor amenity facilities for the residents.
Buildings A and B, both 13 storeys in height, would be constructed on the northeast and southeast corners of the site, incorporating several architectural stepbacks on their east-facing elevations. The proposed linear public parkland would be located just east of Buildings A and B. The tallest towers in the project, the 36-storey Building C and the 33-storey Building D, would be situated in the centre of the site. Buildings E and F, which are 22- and 19-storeys tall, would be built closest to Warden Avenue.
Residents of Buildings C to F would share approximately 24,801 square feet of outdoor amenity space on the project’s second level, and 7,986 square feet between Buildings A and B. Indoor amenity spaces would be located throughout the first and second floors of each tower, fronting onto the outdoor space.
A total of 996 parking spaces would be included in the project. Two levels of underground parking would be provided for Buildings C to F via the new road, plus additional parking space on the ground floor of the podium. Parking would also be set aside in the podium of Buildings A and B.
In the neighbourhood, sales are expected to kick off soon for Nahid Kennedy, while registration is open for 3431 St Clair Avenue East.
