DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
October 27, 2025 445
Cosburn's transit-oriented community has been reduced to middle-class housing
Infrastructure Ontario has unveiled a revised concept for the Cosburn Transit-Oriented Community (TOC), introducing a significantly scaled-down design for the mixed-use project at Pape and Cosburn avenues in the Pape Village neighborhood of East York. SvN's updated plan was unveiled during a recent virtual open house and replaces the previously proposed 28- and 29-story towers with mid-sized buildings of 12 and 13 stories. The development is part of the province's Transit-Oriented Communities program, which aims to bring housing and retail directly to the city's major transit lines, in this case Cosburn station on the future Ontario Line 3.
A plan view looking northwest of the North Block (right) and South Block (left), designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario
The Cosburn Transit-Oriented Community would be located on both sides of Pape Avenue immediately north and south of Cosburn Avenue and would replace the existing low-rise strip of commercial mixed-use buildings that defines this section of Pape Village.
Looking west to the current northern location, image from Google Maps
The northern property, extending from 1030 to 1052 Pape Avenue, and the southern property, from 1002 to 1028 Pape Avenue, are currently occupied by two- and three-story buildings housing restaurants, shops, services and apartments above.
Looking northwest at the current south location, image from Google Maps
The Cosburn TOC was first launched in fall 2024 with a total of 623 rental units and over 2,200 m² of retail space. While the proposal advanced the province's goals for intensification around major transportation stations, city staff and community members raised concerns about height, bulk and limited public space, leading to a redesign.
Previous SvN draft for Infrastructure Ontario
The revised concept replaces the tower shapes with two medium-high buildings. Together, the buildings would comprise 409 residential units, 25% of which would be two or three bedrooms, as well as over 1,300 m² of ground-level retail and commercial space. A new 672 m² public park was created on the southern property. The building masses now fall between three and five stories along the street front.
On the north site, the revised plan calls for a 12-story mixed-use building. It would include 203 residential units over a ground floor with 650 m² of commercial space. The total gross floor area (GFA) is 15,718 m², with 15,068 m² dedicated to residential construction, a more compact size than the previous 28-storey tower with a height of 95.9 m. The Floor Space Index (FSI) has been reduced from 6.1 to 4.3 times the coverage of the 3,669 m² site. The building would now only have five parking spaces for vehicles (previously six), while 241 parking spaces for bicycles (instead of 356) are planned.
View west of the North Block designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario
On the south site, 1002-1028 Pape Avenue, the updated proposal calls for a 13-story mixed-use building, replacing the previously planned 29-story, 325-foot-tall tower. The redesigned structure would accommodate 206 residential units across 667 sqm of ground floor retail space, with a total GFA of 16,949 sqm and an FSI of 6.6 times covering the 3,225 sqm plot. The living space now totals 16,283 m², a significant reduction compared to the previous 23,492 m². Vehicle parking has been completely eliminated, while 246 bicycle parking spaces are planned, up from 400 in the previous version. A key innovation is a 672 m² public park on the western edge of the site, replacing the previous network of POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly-accessible Space) and retail spaces.
View north of the South Block designed by SvN for Infrastructure Ontario
The Cosburn TOC is designed to integrate directly with Cosburn on the future Ontario Line 3 and provide residents with direct subway access one stop north of the future interchange at Pape Station on the Bloor-Danforth Line 2. Infrastructure Ontario's revised plan includes improved pedestrian circulation, additional bicycle facilities and a proposed pick-up and drop-off area to improve mobility and safety. The idea of ​​a second station entrance in the south block is still being examined.
An axonometric view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to the City of Toronto
The Cosburn TOC will contribute to intensification in Toronto's East End. A few blocks west, proposals for 5 and 26 Cosburn Avenue call for 24- and 25-story residential towers, while Broadview Avenue is seeing a steady buildout of mid-rise and high-rise buildings, including 11 stories at 1132 Broadview Avenue and 14- and 16-story buildings at Maxium 1099 Broadview Avenue. To the south of the site, the Pape Station TOC North and South sites are slated to be 7- to 29-story buildings, and nearby, 656 Danforth Avenue is slated to be a 49-story mixed-use tower.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of these developments, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database files linked below. If you'd like, you can join the discussions in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.
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