A new project near the York Beltline Trail and spanning 7.3 acres could become a distinctive mixed-use community in Toronto with its fresh approach to planning and diverse housing options.
Located at the intersection of Bowie Avenue and Caledonia Road, adjacent to the new Caledonia Station transit hub, Beltline Yards promises to transform this area into a significant landmark.
The project will also be bounded by the York Beltline Trail along its northwest edge. Developers Hullmark and BGO have enlisted the expertise of Allies and Morrison, an award-winning architecture and urban planning firm from Britain, to bring its vision to life.
The Beltline Yards project, designed as a family of buildings and green spaces, aims to address Toronto’s housing needs through a layered approach that incorporates buildings of various heights and scales.
The project focuses on promoting community gathering spaces, including light-industrial yards for makers, local shops, eateries, and communal areas along the York Beltline Trail. Central to the project is an acre of publicly accessible park, an open-air covered yard, and over 10,000 square feet of community space, all strategically located at the heart of the site.
Beltline Yards will offer almost four acres of open space, representing nearly 50 per cent of its total land area, further enhancing the neighbourhood’s appeal. The project intends to set a new standard for master-planned, mixed-use communities in Toronto with phase 1 expected to be shovel-ready by 2026.
The project’s location adjacent to the multi-modal transit mobility hub at Caledonia Station ensures excellent transportation links, with a reported 12-minute direct connection to downtown Union Station and a 30-minute connection to Pearson Airport. Additionally, the development will enhance the York Beltline Trail and incorporate extensive cycling infrastructure into its design.
The York Beltline Trail, with its historical significance as a former railway, will be a central focus of the project. Beltline Yards aims to celebrate the area’s natural greenery, offering walkable spaces for various groups of people, including families, professionals, and creatives, while also providing shopping, recreational opportunities, food options, employment opportunities, and light industry destinations. The project will contribute to the improvement of the York Beltline Trail and introduce world-class placemaking and public realm design.
“We have been inspired by the York Beltline Trail and the Toronto Beltline Railway, and the incredible opportunity we now have to complete the vision in a modern context. We will be using this existing infrastructure to enhance the area, making sure that not only will people—locals and visitors alike—know about it, but will include it in their daily lives,” said Jeff Hull, president of Hallmark, in a press release. “Beltline Yards will be unlike any other neighbourhood in Toronto, building upon the trail and the well-established maker spirit of the community, to energize and empower a sense of creativity within anyone who visits.'”
Beltline Yards represents Hullmark’s first master-planned community and is expected to become a landmark destination in Toronto. This ambitious development, in partnership with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, will be designed by Allies and Morrison and aims to redefine mixed-use developments in Canada. Beltline Yards is not just about enhancing the community but also connecting Toronto to its natural spaces like never before. For more information about the project, visit the official website at https://beltlineyards.ca/.
