With Toronto evolving quickly and the planning review process being somewhat daunting, it’s no surprise that developers are finding ways to save time and money getting new buildings approved. Leader Lane Developments found such a path by taking variations on a design by architects CMV Group to three different locations in South Etobicoke. The site plan permit applications for 230 Royal York Road, 430 Royal York Road and 722 The Queensway are all part of a developer’s program focused on sustainable housing opportunities along transit roads in the city.
Looking West at 230 Royal York designed by Architects CMV Group for Leader Lane Developments
These lots are currently all occupied by commercial and/or residential units of only 1 to 2.5 floors.
The first location is on the northwest corner of Royal York Road and Drummond Street, a few blocks south of the Mimico GO station, while the second is north closer to the Gardiner Expressway at the southwest corner of Evans Road and 430 Royal York Road The third is located further north across the Gardiner Expressway at the northeast corner of The Queensway and Rosemeade Avenue.
Looking west at 430 Royal York designed by architects CMV Group for Leader Lane Developments
The trio of developments are part of a program that uses prefabricated solid wood. This approach means no underground construction is required. The similar designs for 230 Royal York, 430 Royal York and 722 The Queensway are respectively 28.30 m with eight floors, 22.61 m with five floors and 28.60 m with eight floors. The architectural drawings envisage a single elevator for the 40, 19 and 26 units in the respective buildings.
Looking south at 722 The Queensway designed by architects CMV Group for Leader Lane Developments
Both eight-storey designs comprise just over 100m² of commercial space, with the smaller of the trio having 169m² of commercial space, all located on the ground floor. The buildings would all have above ground parking, with five spaces for two of them. The larger 230 Royal York would get 14 bike slots and 40 bike slots, with 430 Royal York and 722 The Queensway having 18 and 26 bike slots respectively.
Looking west towards the location of 230 Royal York, image retrieved from Google Street View
An aerial view of 230 Royal York and surrounding area, image retrieved from Google Maps
The prefabricated solid wood is a lighter material and easier to work with than concrete. By reducing the time and cost of construction, this allows for more sustainable housing options in a city where this is badly needed. By replicating the same design for three sites, this program enables even faster and more cost-effective construction.
Looking west towards the location of 430 Royal York, image retrieved from Google Street View
An aerial view of 430 Royal York and surrounding area, image retrieved from Google Maps
Besides the similar structure, the other main component of this program is the focus on transit. All three locations are a short distance from the Mimico GO station on the Lakeshore West GO line, which connects Hamilton to downtown Toronto and beyond. The three locations are also served by a TTC bus that runs to Royal York tube station on the Bloor line 2, providing another way to get around the city quickly.
Looking north towards the location of 722 The Queensway, image retrieved from Google Street View
An aerial view of 722 The Queensway and surrounding area, image retrieved from Google Maps
The applications for 230 Royal York, 430 Royal York and 722 The Queensway demonstrate the development potential not only with lower costs and reduced construction time, but also with a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. Plans like this could go a long way in keeping up with housing demand in this ever-evolving city.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor progress on these developments, but in the meantime you can learn more from our database files linked below. If you wish, you can join the discussion in the related project forum threads or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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