On June 18, Toronto and East York Community Council voted to recommend that Toronto City Council approve a 58- and 36-storey development in the Yonge and Eglinton area.

E Condos has proposed a development of one 58-storey building at the northeast corner of Yonge and Eglinton and a 36-storey building at 25 Roehampton Ave. City council will vote on the item on July 16. As part of the agreement, developers Bazis International, Metropia and RioCan will be required to provide $3,250,000 to the city, with up to $1,250,000 for neighbourhood and streetscape improvements and up to $2,000,000 for city park improvements — and possibly  toward a new park directly south of the former Toronto Transit Commission bus barns at Yonge and Eglinton.

Residents have praised architect Roy Varacalli of Bazis International for his collaborative approach. “It really is a great example of the way development projects in this city should proceed,” said Ben Daube, president of the Sherwood Park Residents’ Association. “They’ve come up with a wonderful design.”

As for the heights, he has no problem with 58 storeys. “The main building is right at the centre of the urban growth zone,” he said. His only concern is a lack of vision for the roads and nearby transit systems to accommodate the growing population. “What’s the plan for traffic?” he asked. “What’s the plan for overcrowding on the subway? There is none.”

Varacalli said that though he’s never worked in the Yonge and Eglinton area, he says he’s kept the area’s needs in mind when designing the project. “You don’t build buildings, you build cities,” said Varacalli. “The key in the design is how to connect everything, not just at the ground level but at the underground level.”

Coun. Josh Matlow is also pleased with the recommendation and hopes that the potential funding toward a park will help make his vision for more open space in the area a reality. “This will be the first official council approval to start working on the public space for the bus barns,” he said.