DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
November 5, 2025 223
The developer wants to supplement the Studio District proposal with residential properties
Kevric has submitted a revised proposal for its long-standing location at 65 to 87 Heward Avenue in Toronto's Studio District with a four-building mixed-use development designed by RAW Design. The Official Plan Amendment (OPA) application seeks to introduce predominantly residential towers ranging from 9 to 28 storeys with new retail and film production space.
Conceptual plan for 65 Heward Ave designed by RAW Design for Kevric
The property is a long and narrow 1.5-acre parcel on the southeast corner of Heward and Eastern Avenue, east of the future East Harbor train station. It is located in the South of Eastern district of Leslieville and extends toward Lake Shore Boulevard East. The property currently includes several two-story buildings housing offices and film studios, including the 1913 Canadian Ammonia Company building (listed on the city's heritage register), as well as newer additions that continue to serve the media production industry. Parking areas cover much of the property. The area lies within the city's Creative Corridor, where older industrial spaces have been converted into mixed employment and residential uses.
Current locations of 87 Heward Avenue (left) and 65 Heward Avenue (right), image from submission to the City of Toronto
A planning approval application submitted in November 2019 called for a six-story office and retail building at the northern end of the site. It received Minor Variance approval in 2022 but was never built. In 2023, the City Council passed OPA 653, expanding retail permits to support film-related uses throughout the property.
Previous 6-story office concept designed by RAW Design for Kevric
Bousfields has submitted a new OPA application to the City of Toronto on behalf of the developer. The plan now calls for retaining a 9-story building on Eastern Avenue north of the existing 87 Heward, two central towers of 18 and 28 stories on a shared 4-story podium, and a 12-story mid-rise to the south. The agreement introduces a central landscaped courtyard, while a 1,332 square meter lot at the south end of the property is left to the city and provides new public green space connected to the Lake Shore Boulevard bike path and the Lower Don Recreational Trail. A five-meter-wide pedestrian walkway would connect the new park to the expanded Heward Avenue, creating a direct connection between the residential buildings and the waterfront path network.
Ground floor floor plan designed by RAW Design for Kevric
The revised proposal would provide for a total gross floor area of ​​67,133 m², a significant increase from 10,420 m² in the previous plan, corresponding to a floor area index of 5.62. The mix rebalances the site's employment and residential functions, replacing 9,300 m² of previously planned office space and 1,000 m² of retail space with a combination of production studios, premium retail and expanded residential options. Of this, 60,440 m² would be earmarked for residential construction, 6,693 m² for non-residential purposes, including 3,150 m² for the production of film, television and digital media. Below grade, two subterranean levels would accommodate 414 vehicle parking spaces (192 for office and manufacturing users and 222 for residents), a significant increase over the 205 spaces proposed in the 2019 plan. The number of bicycle parking spaces was expanded from 110 to 928 spaces, divided into 726 long-term and 162 short-term spaces for residents and 25 long-term and 15 short-term spaces for non-residential users.
A total of 806 residential units would be distributed across the four new buildings, with two residential elevators per tower in this design phase. This gives an approximate ratio of one elevator for every 101 total units, indicating a generally good level of service with correspondingly fast engines. However, if the 28-story tower were approved, a third elevator would be required to provide acceptable service.
The site is one block east of Carlaw Avenue with its 72 Pape buses connecting to the Danforth Line 2's Pape station, while the 501 Queen and 503 Kingston Road streetcars operate several minutes' walk north along Queen Street East. Cyclists benefit from on-street bike lanes along Eastern Avenue and the Lake Shore Boulevard East Trail, which connects to the Martin Goodman Trail system. The property is approximately 750 meters east of the under-construction East Harbor station, a transportation hub that will connect Ontario Line 3 with the Lakeshore East and Stouffville GO lines.
An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to the City of Toronto
Other development plans include some sites nearby. To the east of the site, StudioCentre is an outdated mixed-use employment center plan with a new film studio, while Toronto GM Mobility Campus is another outdated 12-story plan. To the northwest, 153 Logan Avenue is planned with five floors. To the north, Grove Condos and 929 Queen East are planned with 6 and 9 floors, respectively.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database file linked below. If you'd like, you can join the discussion in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.
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