Provincial priority request for a Minister’s Zoning Order for a Transit-Oriented Community (Gerrard-Carlaw North) in the City of Toronto

A Minister’s Zoning Order, made pursuant to clause 47(1)(a) of the Planning Act, regulates the use of land and the erection, location and use of any building or structure on the land.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is considering a request made by the Minister of Infrastructure to make a Minister’s Zoning Order at 425-471 Carlaw Avenue, in the City of Toronto.

The site is approximately 2.26 hectares and is bound by Carlaw Avenue to the west, a laneway to the north, the Metrolinx rail corridor to the south, and Pape Avenue to the east. See location map below. The site is estimated to have about 1,080 residential units and accommodate approximately 225 jobs.

The site is currently occupied by the Riverdale Shopping Centre which includes a grocery store, a medical centre, a gas station, and other retail uses.

The requested Zoning Order would permit:

• a mixed-use building with three towers of 30, 35, and 40 stories in height on a two-to-six storey shared podium;
• 86,000 square metres of residential Gross Floor Area (GFA);
• 6,500 square meters of non-residential GFA, including a grocery store;
• a new street crossing diagonally through the site to link Pape and Carlaw Avenues;
• a new public park and public open space on the northern portion of the site of a minimum of 3,240 square meters;
• a new public open space on the southern end of the site located over the rail corridor;

To help ensure decisions are made in a transparent manner and support government priorities, the Ministry is seeking feedback on whether this request should be considered and any additional information that may help inform a decision.