As Toronto residents turn to remote work and Toronto’s official plan looks to a future with fewer private vehicles, it becomes increasingly important that developments improve life for those without a car. Property owner Brimley Place is planning to do just that at 799 Brimley Road in Scarborough after applying to change the zoning statute for a residential building in the Bendale South borough of that eastern part of the city.
Looking northeast towards 799 Brimley, designed by Studio JCI for Brimley Place
The site is located near the southeast corner of Brimley Road and Lawrence Avenue East, is approximately rectangular in shape and has an area of approximately 5,555 square meters. It currently houses a two-story commercial plaza and surface parking. The site is surrounded by similarly sized commercial and residential units in central Scarborough. The neighborhood is characterized by a higher immigrant population and low-rise single-family homes compared to the rest of the city.
View northeast of the plaza at the site in question, image retrieved from Google Street View
The proposal calls for the demolition of the business park and the parking lot, which is mainly intended for motorists. In its place would be a block of flats on Brimley Road, along with 13 terraced houses to the rear. The latter would all have three floors, with the building having 14 floors and a height of 50.13 m. The proposed layout of the building is 378 units, and with three elevators incorporated into the design, this would mean 126 units per elevator, well above the threshold of 1 elevator per 100 units.
Studio JCI designed the building both functionally and aesthetically with pedestrians in mind, including a uniform facade along Brimley Avenue with dark brickwork cladding to emphasize the first two levels. The design features brick columns along the central portion of floors three through eight, with glass and parapet panels for the upper portion. The facades of the terraced houses should refer to the materiality for a uniform look.
An aerial view of the affected site and surrounding area, image on file with the City of Toronto
The ground floor would provide ample space for those walking or cycling, with setbacks of 4.0 m from Brimley Avenue and 2.0 m from Lawrence Avenue East. Residents and visitors would find two commercial spaces on either side of the lobby, totaling 450 sqm. Of the 2,000m² of usable space on the first two floors, 1,048m² would lie between the building and the townhouse block, providing a landscaped area with trees, terraces, retaining walls and seating areas.
Looking south towards the townhouses and grounds designed by Studio JCI for Brimley Place
With less focus on vehicles, the design envisages just a one-level underground car park with 104 spaces, 22 of which are for visitors. With an eye on a greener future for the city, all living spaces would have charging stations for electric vehicles. The design offers 298 bicycle parking spaces for cyclists, 30 of which are for visitors and 40 with power connections. In addition to the nearby Gatineau Hydro Corridor, where the city is currently constructing the Meadoway recreation path, there are plans for additional cycle paths along Brimley Road.
A block context plan for the south side of the intersection is enclosed with the application. It includes potential eight to 20 story buildings on lots near this site. The motion also identifies four area development proposals ranging from townhouses to multi-family homes.
An axonometric view looking southeast of the Block Context Plan, image on file with the City of Toronto
With such a large influx of residents, traffic in the area will be facilitated by the Scarborough Tube Extension of Danforth Line 2, currently under construction, with a new station some 750m away on Lawrence Avenue at the McCowan Road changed. It will be one stop from Kennedy Station and will be connected to both GO Transit and Eglinton Line 5.
The motion concludes with the detailed balance of the design in relation to the official plan’s objectives: supporting transit, improving public spaces and anticipating a greener future. Proponents here argue that this development and future plans for the Bendale South area would make that envisioned future a reality.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more from our database file linked below. If you wish, you can join the discussion in the dedicated project forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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