One of the many major huge film studios in Etobicoke.
A plan to convert a large chunk of land in the area of Kipling and Evans Avenues from employment to mixed use areas has been turned down by City Council.
Councillor Amber Morley moved a motion for the conversion of 340-364 Evans Avenue and 12-16 Arnold Street from core employment to mixed use or regeneration areas by removing the lands from Official Urban Structure Plan.
Morley told council the huge tract of land can be used for mixed use and by the film industry to shoot movies to be next to other studios in the area.
She envisions ‘a hub on the site’ and met with film industry officials to seek their input.
Site of a 364 Evans Avenue area that was proposed for mixed use but rejected by the city. Toronto is in the top five cities for movie production.
“It is a unique site and a unique opportunity,” Morley told a council meeting on October 12. “It will be a site that Etobicoke Lakeshore will be proud off.”
City of Toronto Chief Planner Gregg Lintern told council there are a number of large studios in the area and the industry hires thousands of people.
City staff said Toronto is the fifth largest movie making hub in North America and two of the top film schools are located here.
Staff said the industry requires large spaces to build sound stages and brings in about $2.6 billion in business a year to the city.
A set built inside one of the studios for film or TV production. The industry brings in more than $2 billion yearly for the city.
Council was told there is only 13 per cent of employment lands left in Toronto and the companies there hire more than 400,000 workers who hold good paying jobs.
Councillors were told there are only about five large tracts of lands deemed for employment left in the city and they have to be preserved to create jobs and companies will have room to expand.
They heard in many cases the proposed mixed use buildings are not built and the lands are sold for high prices due to the rezoning from employment to mixed use.
Two other motions to make similar rezoning changes in different parts of the city were also rejected by council.
Councillors voted 17 to seven to turn down Morley’s motion.
Huge space is required in studios used for film and TV production. There is more than two million square feet of production space in the city.
Over 5,000 businesses here are active in all aspects of film and television, including production and distribution, animation, music publishing and recording, and radio and television.
The Toronto film workforce is growing and currently employs over 35,000 residents.
Toronto is one of the top five screen-based industries in North America with a full scope of industry connections, services, suppliers, talent, crew, facilities and locations delivering everything required for success in pre-production through post production.
The city has about two million square feet of space to accommodate a full range of large and small productions and studio expansion will bring in an extra 450,000 square feet of new studio space. We also have the world’s largest purpose-built sound stage.
Some of the largest studios as Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros shoot movies here.