In the southeast corner of Etobicoke, Mimico is an ever-expanding hub for new residential development.
One of Mimico’s biggest draws is its access to the Mimico GO Station, which lends convenient access to downtown Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara Falls via GO’s Lakeshore West Line.
Currently, there are six high-rise projects in the planned, under construction or recently-completed phases according to data from BuzzBuzzHome, many of which are near the station. This includes 327 Royal York Condos and 39 Newcastle Street Condos at Grand Central Mimico, which recently launched a new financial assistance program for new home buyers in collaboration with the City of Toronto.
In early November, development applications were filed for two separate high-rise towers that could place future residents within walking distance to Mimico GO Station. With the documents recently made public on Toronto’s online development application portal, here’s a look at the proposed projects.
266 Royal York Road
Developer: Fieldgate Homes
Architect: IBI Group
Size: 37 storeys, 826 units
The development site at 266 Royal York Road is located near Stanley Avenue and Royal York Road, backing onto the Metrolinx Oakville Subdivision, which contains the Lakeshore West GO train route. A vacant, two-storey light industrial building and surface parking area exists on the irregularly-shaped site, which is approximately 8,529 square metres in size.
The proposal would redevelop the site into two buildings to form an L shape.
The east parcel would be mixed-use with 826 residential units and 869 square metres of ground floor retail space with frontage along Royal York Road. A 12-storey mixed-use base building would support the tower, while the 37-storey residential element would rise on the western segment of the podium. Of the 826 units, the breakdown would include 619 one-bedroom, 124 two-bedroom and 83 three-bedroom condos.
The eight-storey west portion of the development would create 14,000 square metres worth of self-storage facilities and 464 square metres for flexible office use.
Indoor and outdoor amenity space would be included on the ground and 12th floors of the development. A private driveway connected to Royal York Road would lead to an underground parking ramp and the self-storage building via a tunnel. Below grade, 142 residential parking spaces and 97 spaces for visitors would be provided. Long-term parking for 561 bicycles would be incorporated in the underground garage, and 58 visitor bicycle parking spaces on the ground floor.
2405 Lake Shore Boulevard West
Developer: Winzen
Architect: Sweeny & Co.
Size: 33 storeys, 471 units
This development lot is located on the east side of Lake Shore Boulevard West between Superior and Primrose avenues. The irregularly-shaped lot fronts onto Amos Waites Park and the Mimico Waterfront Trail near Lake Ontario. Between four parcels, five buildings inhabit the site including a medical office, an apartment building with 22 rental units, a two-storey derelict walk-up building and a two-storey single-detached house.
The site would be converted into a mixed-use and transit-oriented L-shaped development that is 33 storeys tall. Approximately 345.5 square metres of retail space would be included on the ground floor fronting Lake Shore Boulevard West.
The slender tower would be oriented in an east-west direction, supported by a 10-storey mid-rise element and a seven-storey podium building that is positioned east of the mid-rise section.
An architectural setback in the mid-rise portion would make way for a sidewalk and co-ordinated landscaping zone with new street trees and decorative paving. Deep terraces would be added on floors two to four, providing a sheltered pedestrian area above the building’s retail entrance.
Above the mezzanine level in the podium building, which is open-to-below to provide double-height retail space, a generous setback from the site’s north property line would accommodate a large outdoor amenity area on the roof. Dual residential lobbies would be added for the tower and mid-rise sections of the development.
The building would front onto a new public street that would run from Lake Shore Boulevard West toward the rear of the site and wrap around the building before turning northward to Superior Avenue. The proposal would also provide a future park block, which is envisioned to form part of Amos Waites Park.
Of the 471 units proposed in the tower, 22 would be set aside as rental replacement suites. The breakdown would consist of 11 studios, 223 one-bedroom, 35 one-bedroom-plus-den, 155 two-bedroom and 47 three-bedroom residences. A total of 1,948 square metres of indoor and outdoor amenity space is proposed for the projects on levels one and two.
A driveway from Lake Shore Boulevard West would connect to pick-up and drop-off space, internal services areas and an underground parking garage with 259 spaces across three levels. A total of 474 bicycle parking spaces would also be included.
In the neighbourhood, registration is open for Verge 2 – East Tower, while sales are ongoing at Reina Condos.
