A Toronto developer has withdrawn its plan to lease a portion of the John Fisher Public School property to accommodate a construction staging area for a highrise apartment building, following significant opposition.

The KG Group’s proposal to build a 32-storey development at 18–30 Erskine Ave. was granted approval by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) earlier this year. Shortly after, the developer entered into private discussions with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to lease part of the property for the duration of the three- to four-year project.

At a community meeting on Nov. 15, residents raised health and safety concerns and were disappointed to learn that a risk assessment had not been conducted by a third party to address the impact the construction could have on the 500 children attending school next door.

“There will be dust, noise, vibration, traffic and a huge crane. God forbid, accidents happen,” said Sogol Shams, a local parent whose children attend the school.

Several days after the meeting, the KG Group withdrew its request, and TDSB trustee Gerri Gershon sent a letter to parents assuring them that a third party risk assessment would be done.

“It was not our intention to stop the deal,” said Shams. “We just wanted more information [and] to make sure … our children would be safe.”

Now that the developer has shelved the proposal to use the schoolyard for staging purposes, residents wonder if the construction will spill out onto the road instead.

“It’s a small area. They don’t have a lot of space to manoeuvre,” said Shams.

Local parent Stavros Rougas argues Erskine Avenue is already suffering from traffic issues and should not be turned into a one-way street to accommodate the building’s construction, an option he said he believes is the next likely alternative.

Local councillor Jaye Robinson shares his concern and stated that, in her opinion, a more suitable solution would be that the developer reduce the size of its footprint and contain the construction staging on the site.

Meanwhile, now that John Fisher won’t receive funding from the lease, Gershon said the TDSB will have to pay out of its own pocket to move the school playground elsewhere on school property, away from the site.

The KG Group did not respond to requests for comment.