The sprawling parking lot of RioCan’s retail centre on the southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue East and Laird Drive is the most recent site to be earmarked for large scale development in Leaside. 

The proposal for 815 Eglinton Ave. E. by the developer RioCan calls for seven buildings ranging from six to 34 storeys in height, 1,435 residential units, 16,130 square metres of retail, a community centre, a public park and a network of streets on the 8.8-acre property.

“We can only take so much building before the entire neighbourhood is destroyed with everything from traffic through to infrastructure,” said Carol Burtin Fripp of the Leaside Property Owners’ Association (LPOA).

Burtin Fripp said local residents have no way of knowing when the infrastructure will reach “the breaking point.”

Local resident Tim Toth agrees, but said he thinks residents should avoid taking an anti-development stance.

“I think it’s foolish to oppose development on a new [light rail transit] line when that is the purpose,” said Toth. Instead, he said local efforts to slow development should focus on Section 37 of the Ontario Planning Act that forces developers to invest back into the community.

Ward 26 councillor Jon Burnside said it’s still very early in the planning process and a focus study will soon be conducted in the area.

“RioCan has told the city they are willing to work with us through that study,” said Burnside. “I’d prefer the site to be untouched. But with the [Eglinton Crosstown] LRT being built, that is unrealistic. We need to really understand … what the community can handle,” he added.

The property is one site over from another large development proposal, at Eglinton Avenue East and Brentcliffe Road, by DiamondCorp.

City of Toronto planner John Andreevski is expected to put out his first report on this proposal to city council by the end of the year. 

RioCan did not respond to requests for comment at press time.