Hear about the latest developments for the Parkdale Hub project. The Pop Up event will be outside the Parkdale Library on August 23rd from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (at the corner of Queen Street West and Cowan Avenue) to see the updated plans and talk with City and CreateTO staff.
The City’s proposal for the building on the West Block of the site has increased from 10 stories to 16 stories to accommodate 60 additional homes. Within the additional height, a total of 231 new homes will be provided at the Parkdale Hub. City Staff have reviewed the impacts of the proposed changes to ensure the additional height does not adversely impact adjacent properties or the surrounding neighbourhood, and that the proposed height represents an appropriate built form. The depth of the property, which is deeper than many properties fronting onto Queen Street West, allows for sufficient step-backs and ensures a six-storey presence on Queen Street West is maintained, consistent with the policy direction resulting from the West Queen West Planning Study.
Parkdale Residents Association Comments on the Updates:
Mid-afternoon is an odd time of day to have residents attend a public feedback event. A lot of locals work during the day.
HEIGHT: We believe it is disingenuous to state that the increases from the original 6 stories to 10 stories to now 16 stories will have no impact on the West Queen West Planning Study which is being appealed by 17 developers before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT-PL200629).
An appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal recently approved 11 stories across from the Parkdale Hub on the North side of Queen St. W. by KingSett Capital at the old Designer Fabric store (OLT decision OLT-22-002167 section 34 and 42).
In the deliberations of the Adjudicator, the Parkdale Hub project at the proposed 10 stories was used as the rationale for allowing KingSett Capital to increase its height above 6 stories to 11 stories. It is guaranteed that other developers will follow suit and request much higher heights now that the Parkdale Hub project is proposing 16 stories – look to the corner of Queen & Noble proposing 24-stories, the Radiator development on Dufferin south of Queen 25-stories, or the 12-stories proposed at Jameson and Queen to use a similar rationale.
It’s accurate to assume that the West Queen West Planning Study will fail at the Ontario Land Tribunal.
CULTURE: An important element of the Parkdale Hub project is the Parkdale Arts and Culture Centre. Currently, there are three important existing features at the corner of Queen and Cowan – Parkdale Library, Masaryk-Cowan Community Rec Centre and the Parkdale Arts and Culture Centre. The Parkdale Library and Masaryk-Cowan Community Rec Centre will see major expansions. The Parkdale Arts and Culture Centre needs to receive the same consideration. What is proposed so far diminishes this cultural component. This new Update reduces the proposed 10 rental units for artists back to its existing 9 rental units for artists.
More consideration of the creative and cultural elements of this Parkdale Hub is required. Not a reduction or status quo.