Groundbreaking took place today for Kennedy Green at 2444 Eglinton Avenue East, across from the Kennedy GO and TTC Station, the current terminus of the Danforth Line 2 and the future eastern terminus of the Eglinton Line 5. It marks the start of Canada's largest new cooperative housing project in over 30 years, creating 612 rent-controlled apartments. Mayor Olivia Chow met with MP Salma Zahid, Councilor Michael Thompson and city staff, as well as representatives from CreateTO, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT), Windmill Development Group and Civic Developments.
When completed, Kennedy Green will be the largest purpose-built not-for-profit rental cooperative in the country. “By working closely with key partners, leveraging city-owned land and investing over $35 million, we approved this project in record-breaking time and are creating a more caring and affordable city for Torontonians,” said Chow.
Groundbreaking, image via twitter.com/cityoftoronto
The council-owned property is located in the Eglinton East area of Scarborough and was previously used as a commuter property. It is part of a wider municipal program to activate almost 100 public properties for new housing. “Kennedy Green is the type of development that Scarborough needs and will embrace. … This is exactly what will enable Scarborough to grow and achieve the sustainable population of the future,” said Councilor Thompson.
The development will include three towers ranging from 18 to 40 floors. The development is divided into two phases, with the two cooperative towers being constructed in the first phase. This was followed by a second phase with a 31-storey market residential tower containing 307 residential units, bringing the total scheme to 919 apartments. The co-op component of the project will include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with half of the homes planned as affordable rental units and the other half as market-rate co-op units. At least 33% of affordable cooperative apartments and 15% of market cooperative apartments are planned as barrier-free units.
View southeast of Kennedy Green, designed by Henriquez Partners Architects for CreateTO, Civic Developments, Windmill Developments and the Co-Operative Housing Federation of Toronto
“After 50 years of supporting the cooperative movement in Toronto, we have built on our experience and delivered world-class design to set the stage for a renaissance in cooperative housing,” said Tom Clement, executive director at CHFT.
The project was advanced through a rezoning review that was completed in just 69 days and supported by coordinated work between City Planning, CreateTO, CHFT and development partners Civic Developments and Windmill Development Group. Federal support through the Cooperative Housing Development Program is an important part of the financing package moving Kennedy Green forward. It also supports the city's HousingTO goals, which target 65,000 rent-controlled apartments by 2030, including 41,000 affordable rental units, 6,500 rent-controlled apartments and 17,500 additional rent-controlled apartments.
“Our government is proud to support this initiative, which is part of our ongoing efforts to build strong, affordable communities across the country,” said Zahid, MP for Scarborough Center – Don Valley East. The federal government is donating $289 million to Kennedy Green through the Cooperative Housing Development Program, marking the largest single federal investment in a cooperative housing project in decades.
View north of Kennedy Green, designed by Henriquez Partners Architects for CreateTO, Civic Developments, Windmill Developments and the Co-Operative Housing Federation of Toronto
Designed by Henriquez Partners Architects with landscaping by CCxA, the towers combine a geothermal system, Toronto Green Standard v4 Tier 2 performance and the city's first application of the One Planet Living Framework. The project received early recognition for its approach, winning a Future Homes Award for mixed-use buildings and the 2025 Green Good Design Award for its architectural strategy. In addition to the residential program, 474 m² of communal space and 332 m² of ground-level retail use are planned.
“By bringing together incredible partners from the nonprofit and private sectors, we have translated a shared vision of inclusivity and sustainability into a purpose and accelerated this development at an unprecedented pace,” said Vic Gupta, CEO of CreateTO. “This project is proof that when we work together, we can build a city where everyone has a place to call home.”
Construction of the two cooperative towers in Phase 1 is scheduled to be completed in 2029.
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.
* * *
UrbanToronto's research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe – from proposal to completion. Other services include instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from the first application.