We previously reported on how Toronto City Council approved a plan to use municipal land at 275 Merton St in midtown Toronto for the construction of purpose-built rental homes. Now, a cover letter and other supporting documents submitted to the city late last month on behalf of Collecdev-Markee Developments (headed by Jennifer Keesmaat, the former chief planner for Toronto) provide several updates about the project.
The original proposal was for 447 purpose-built rental homes to be built at 267 and 275 Merton St, but the October cover letter specifies zoning changes needed to accommodate the development of a 40-storey mixed-use building featuring 494 residential units (30% of the units will still be affordable rental units, to be maintained in perpetuity).
Residents can expect a total gross floor area (GFA) of 31,321 square meters, including 132 square meters of ground floor non-residential GFA. As midtown tends to be densely populated and the site is super close to transit (about a 10-minute walk to Davisville Station), it will only have 22 visitor car parking spaces across one level of underground parking, including two car share spaces, six barrier-free spaces, and five pick-up/drop-off spaces. As with most new developments in the city, the building will be bicycle-friendly, with 496 bicycle bike spaces proposed.
The developer plans to create 380 square metres of publicly accessible private space (POPS) along the western side of the property, which is expected to enhance pedestrian access to the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail, located to the south of the site (perfect for nature lovers and anyone who love hiking, cycling, and birdwatching).
“In our opinion, the proposed development represents good land use planning and urban design, resulting in the redevelopment of an underutilized site with new housing, new ground floor retail, and a POPS,” the October 22 cover letter states. “The proposal implements Council direction to enter into a development partnership to provide housing on undertutilized [sic] city-owned lands and will provide the community with much-needed affordable housing and purpose-built rental units.”
According to the letter, 275 Merton St. is currently owned by the City of Toronto, and 267 Merton St. is owned by Collecdev-Markee. As part of a partnership endorsed by Council this past June, 267 Merton St. will be transferred to City ownership through a future agreement of purchase and sale (for a nominal value) and then leased back to Collecdev-Markee, along with 275 Merton St., for 99 years. These two properties together form one consolidated development site.
No updates were given on the construction timeline, but it was previously expected that the 275 Merton project would begin in the second half of 2025, with first occupancy targeted for mid-2028.
