Campbell Soup has been in our community for almost 90-years and plans are being made to reconvert the old soup plant to last another century.
Officials of QuadReal Property Group, of Vancouver, B.C., on July 4 filed a Site Plan Approval Application to Community Planning Section of the Etobicoke York Community Council for the redevelopment of the former Campbell Soup site at 60 Birmingham Ave.
The plant was a major soup producer and employed hundreds or area residents when constructed in 1931. It brought crops from many area farmers and hired generations of families.
The site was purchased by QuadReal in 2018, who has been busy designing new plans.
The 18.8 acre property is designated Core Employment Area, which permits a range of manufacturing, warehousing and other office type uses.
The company is planning to install three large warehouses that will provide manufacturing and office space, which can be rented out to entrepreneurs or small companies who want to be close to Toronto.
QuadReal intends to extend the ‘employment legacy and redevelop the property into a leading Class ‘A’ last-mile urban distribution and logistics facility’,’ the proposal says.
The company says a “rapid densification of Toronto has put stress on supply chains seeking to meet increasing urban demand from traditional suburban and rural distribution hubs.”
It said evolving consumer expectations in terms of “just-in-time” delivery and e-commerce has fueled tenant requirements to locate closer to their urban consumer bases, reducing total transportation costs and minimizing variability of delivery times.
The plan is calling for three massive single storey warehouse buildings, two of which are connected by 36,954-square-metres of floor area along with the retention of portions of the existing 1931 and 1944 building facades along Birmingham St.
“The development has been designed with strong urban design principles to ensure contextually responsive integration with the surrounding community,” the plan says.
The architect says the proposed development has been designed with strong urban design principles to ensure contextually responsive integration with the surrounding community, particularly to the sensitive residential uses to the east and south of the site.
QuadReal is a global real estate investment, operating and development company. QuadReal manages the real estate and mortgage programs of British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), one of Canada’s largest asset managers with a $153.4 billion portfolio.
QuadReal manages a $37.6 billion portfolio spanning 23 cities in 17 countries
No hearing dates has been set at this time. The plan has to be voted on by City Council.