Urban plaza added to massive midtown development plan

Proposal calls for four towers and retail on the corner of Laird and Eglinton

It looks like Leaside’s rapid growth could continue unabated after a massive development application for the corner of Laird Drive and Eglinton Avenue East was resubmitted to the City of Toronto.

“We had recently met with the planners so we knew a new revised version was coming,” said councillor Jaye Robinson. “It’s a big proposal. The developer has already appealed to the LPAT [Local Planning Appeal Tribunal], and likely a hearing will be scheduled for this fall.”

The new submission to the city, according to the cover letter from the developer, kept the current building heights of 18, 21, 36 and 38 storeys with “notable changes to the public realm at grade to address comments and requests from community stakeholders and city staff.”

Most notable in this regard is the inclusion of an urban plaza at the southeast corner of Laird and Eglinton beside the secondary entrance to the LRT station to “create a hub where people can congregate.”

There is also a public park relocated to the corner of Laird and Vanderhoof Avenue.

The lack of a public plaza component was one of the major concerns noted by a local residents association, said Geoff Ketel of the Leaside Property Owners’ Association.

“The community had major concerns with the 2018 submission, including the lack of a public plaza for such an landmark location and increased density, which led to us becoming a party at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal,” he explained.

“We will be examining the revised plans relative to these and other issues.”

Of greatest concern is that the development at 815-845 Eglinton Ave. E. represents a very large residential development, adding 1,673 condominium units as well as townhomes, and dramatically increasing density when considered alongside numerous large development applications for Eglinton at Bayview, Laird and Brentcliffe.

The city has been trying to get its Laird in Focus planning study together. But at this point, Robinson questions whether there is a point to continuing the exercise.

“I’m a little bit disappointed. The planners have gone into some kind of holding pattern,” said Robinson. “The problem with that plan is that it is long overdue. It’s almost too late. I don’t know why the ball has been dropped on this. It should have been locked down a couple of years ago.”

Article exclusive to POST CITY