Councillor Kandavel proposes conditions on the STACK data centre at 3650 Danforth before final approval

development

Councillor Kandavel proposes conditions on the STACK data centre at 3650 Danforth before final approval

Councillor Kandavel is asking Council to ensure the proposed STACK Infrastructure data centre expansion in Scarborough Southwest is assessed against forthcoming city guidance on AI data centres, and to require clarity on ownership, data sovereignty, and community benefits before the project proceeds through delegated Site Plan Approval. More than 100 residents attended a community meeting with concerns about the facility's scale, power and water demands, noise, employment, and the lack of a public vote on a project of this magnitude.

not yet heardToronto City Council · Wed, Jul 29You can weigh inOttawa decides

Who did what

Councillor Parthi Kandavel (Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest) movedMoved the motion seeking due diligence conditions on the STACK data centre application before final approval
Councillor Dianne Saxe (Ward 11, University-Rosedale) secondedSeconded Kandavel's motion

Also in this item

• STACK Infrastructure, a U.S.-owned company, has not disclosed who would lease or use the proposed new data centre capacity at 3650 Danforth. Kandavel is asking Council to require clarity on ownership, data location, and control before approval.

• Over 100 residents attended a community meeting on the proposed STACK expansion, raising concerns about scale, electricity and water demands, noise, generators, local employment, and the absence of a public Council vote on a project of this magnitude.

• The motion asks Council to pace the STACK application so that it aligns with the city's forthcoming Toronto-specific approach to AI data centres (due to Planning and Housing Committee in 2027, directed by Council in March 2026).

The journey

Wed, Jul 29 · Toronto City Council · not yet heard

Time to act

You can weigh in

Residents of Scarborough Southwest who attended the community meeting or who are affected by the data centre application can depute at Council before the vote (no date published yet). Contacts with their councillor, Parthi Kandavel, and adjacent ward councillors are actionable now.

Why is this story here?

Big deal at city hallThe motion proposes to condition a major industrial development and to require alignment with a pending city-wide policy on a new class of infrastructure. If carried, it constrains delegated Site Plan Approval authority and sets a precedent for sovereign-control review of critical AI infrastructure. The stakes are institutional: does Council retain decision-making power over mega-facilities or does delegation stand unconditioned? Multi-year commitment and policy precedent.Felt nowResidents of Scarborough Southwest feel this directly now: the data centre application is active, the community meeting drew over 100 people, and the motion proposes to slow or condition approval. Power outages, water pressure, noise from backup generators, and traffic are all present-day risks to the neighbourhood. The facility's location and scale are fixed and immediate.

Stories are ordered by how much weight a decision carries and how directly it reaches daily life. They rise as a decision date approaches and fall as they age.

Official title: Ensuring Due Diligence on Data Centres in Scarborough Southwest - by Councillor Parthi Kandavel, seconded by Councillor Dianne Saxe · meeting video