Provincial priority request for a Minister’s Zoning Order for a Transit-Oriented Community (Distillery District (formerly Corktown) – South Site) in the City of Toronto

The Minister of Infrastructure is proposing to make a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) at 265-271 Front Street East and 3-25 Berkeley Street in the City of Toronto. Together, these lands are referred to as the South Site of the Distillery District (formerly Corktown) Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) and have been designated as transit-oriented community lands under section 2 of the Transit-Oriented Communities Act, 2020.

Pursuant to Order-in-Council 589/2025, the Minister of Infrastructure shares authority, with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to make Ministerial Zoning orders under s. 47 (1) (a) of the Planning Act for transit-oriented community lands. An existing MZO (O.Reg 336/22), issued April 8, 2022, applicable to lands comprising the South site is proposed to be revoked and replaced with the proposed MZO.

The Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) posting addresses two distinct but related actions: the revocation of the existing MZO and the issuance of a new MZO for the site, with the revocation proposed to occur concurrently at the time of issuance of the new MZO. Public comments are being sought on both actions.

The proposed Zoning Order will include exceptions to the requirements of the City of Toronto’s Zoning By-law including building height, setbacks, maximum lot coverage, dimensions of accessible parking, and any requirement for inclusionary zoning. This approach is designed to better reflect evolving market conditions and support the delivery of a transit-oriented community. 

The Minister is also proposing to use enhanced authorities pursuant to clauses 47(4.3) (a) and (b) of the Planning Act to remove site plan approval and require the landowner to enter into one or more agreements with the City of Toronto dealing with matters listed in subsection 47(4.4) of the Act on the subject lands.

The area of the site is approximately 1.25 hectares. It is bounded by Front Street East to the north, Berkeley Street to the west, Parliament Square Park to the south, Parliament Street to the east. See location map below. 

The property was previously occupied by automobile-oriented commercial uses and surface parking lots.

The proposed Zoning Order would permit three mixed-use towers: Tower 1 at 58 storeys, Tower 2 at 50 storeys, and Tower 3 at 22 storeys. A summary of notable changes between the existing MZO and proposed MZO for this site can be found in the following table:

To help ensure decisions are made in a transparent manner and support government priorities, the Ministry is seeking feedback on this proposal that may help inform the decision.