A mixed-use 37 storey and 23 storey towers are planned for 266 and 268 Royal York Road, along with an eight-storey storage warehouse.
A plan to build two mega condo towers on Royal York Road is being considered at Etobicoke York Community Council later this month.
Developers are seeking to build a mixed-use 37 storey and 23 storey towers at 266 and 268 Royal York Road, along with an eight-storey storage warehouse on the site.
An official plan and zoning by-law amendment applications to permit the development will also be considered by City Council on December 13.
The site is located on the west side of Royal York Road at its intersection with Stanley Avenue, near Cavell Avenue.
The buildings will contain 824 residential units, consisting of 613 studio and one-bedroom units, 167 two-bedroom units and 44 three-bedroom units. A warehouse
Etobicoke York Community Council and City Council will consider the proposal.
A total of 200 parking spaces are proposed with 194 spaces with a two-level underground parking garage for residential uses and six surface parking spaces for retail uses.
A total of 619 bicycle parking spots are proposed, including 561 long-term and 58 short-term spaces.
A park the size of 1,394 square metres, with a 15.9 metres frontage along Royal York Road is also planned.
A Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted on November 2021 and later revised on September 2022. It was submitted with an Official Plan Amendment application.
Site of the mega condo towers planned for 266 and 268 Royal York Road development.
The developer in August 2021 submitted a Conversion Request to the City to re-designate the western portion of the lands from Core Employment Areas to Mixed Use Areas to permit residential uses.
City staff have identified several issues and didn’t find the proposal, in its current form, fits within the existing and planned context.
They said the site is located close to low-rise buildings including four-storey stacked townhouses, and the nearby St. Leo’s Catholic Church is listed as a heritage building.
Staff said the Willowbrook Rail Yard and VIA Rail’s Toronto Maintenance Centre close by operate 24-hours daily.
“These facilities are important to the economy,” according to a staff report. “As such, the current and future operations of these facilities need to be protected from encroachment by sensitive land uses.”
City staff have nixed the plan so far and an appeal is underway.
It said while speeds may be lower, “rail yards have the greatest noise and vibration of all rail typologies due to more intensive and frequent operations.”
“The operations create noise, vibration and air quality impacts that would be impactful to the proposed residential uses if permitted,” staff wrote.
Staff said the proposal is inconsistent and does not conform with the area’s official Growth Plan.
Staff noted the proposal creates an ‘unsuitable site organization resulting from insufficient separation distances and setbacks between uses, unsatisfactory parkland location, as well as inappropriate site access and circulation.’
It is now up to community and city councils to make a decision into the fate of the development.