BACKGROUND
Streetcar Developments has recently made two applications to the City for rezoning of the Tippet Richardson and Toyota sites located in Riverside (77-79 East Don Roadway and 677 Queen East respectively—“the site”). Plans remain preliminary given the early stages of municipal review, however, to date; we have conducted several productive meetings with City Staff. Given that this year is an election year, the public engagement process at the City level will not commence in earnest until early in 2015.
SITE CONTEXT
Together, the two properties comprise over 4 acres of underutilized land; an uncommon occurrence in urban Toronto. Approximately 30% of the entire street frontage on the south side of Queen Street East between Broadview Avenue and the Don Valley is taken up by frontage of the site (approximately 100m of a total 300m) which today is occupied by surface parking and a Toyota dealership. Further, given the presence of two western facing (and less than attractive) industrial buildings at the south/west end, the site does not connect in any way (or even relate) to Eastern Avenue. In effect, there is a very large gap in the urban fabric of Riverside.
That said, and being that the site is situated on one of the City’s most important avenues and within an evolving mixed use neighbourhood, we felt that it was critical to engage in a meaningful master planning exercise and re-imagine how the site could be transformed to make a positive contribution to Riverside.
Streetcar Developments has recently made two applications to the City for rezoning of the Tippet Richardson and Toyota sites located in Riverside (77-79 East Don Roadway and 677 Queen East respectively—“the site”). Plans remain preliminary given the early stages of municipal review, however, to date; we have conducted several productive meetings with City Staff. Given that this year is an election year, the public engagement process at the City level will not commence in earnest until early in 2015.
SITE CONTEXT
Together, the two properties comprise over 4 acres of underutilized land; an uncommon occurrence in urban Toronto. Approximately 30% of the entire street frontage on the south side of Queen Street East between Broadview Avenue and the Don Valley is taken up by frontage of the site (approximately 100m of a total 300m) which today is occupied by surface parking and a Toyota dealership. Further, given the presence of two western facing (and less than attractive) industrial buildings at the south/west end, the site does not connect in any way (or even relate) to Eastern Avenue. In effect, there is a very large gap in the urban fabric of Riverside.
That said, and being that the site is situated on one of the City’s most important avenues and within an evolving mixed use neighbourhood, we felt that it was critical to engage in a meaningful master planning exercise and re-imagine how the site could be transformed to make a positive contribution to Riverside.