North York at the Centre: Directions Report for an Updated Secondary Plan

2. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee in the first quarter of 2027 with recommended Official Plan Amendments for the North York Centre Secondary Plan and accompanying Urban Design Guidelines and an Infrastructure Implementation Strategy. 3. City Council request the Executive Director, Development Review, in consultation with other City Divisions, to consider the policy directions from the North York at the Centre Options and Directions Report, found in Attachment 1 to the report (November 19, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review, in the review of development applications to support consistent planning outcomes during the interim period prior to the adoption of an updated Secondary Plan for North York Centre. 4. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to share the North York at the Centre: Final Options and Directions Report (November 2025) and the Community Services and Facilities Strategy (October 2025) with the Ontario Ministry of Health, including Ontario Health, the Ontario Ministry of Education, and the relevant school boards, as input to their capital planning processes to ensure that required health and education facilities are planned and delivered over time to support the area's projected population growth, including consideration of adding one high school to support the Avondale neighbourhood and the creation of a health hub with co-located seniors and social services. 5. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to explore alternative approaches for delivering community recreation services and facilities based on the uncertain timeline for the new Newtonbrook Community Recreation Centre, including options such as satellite locations, co-location with other facilities, improvements to existing facilities, phased construction, and any related capital and operating impacts, and to report to the Executive Committee as part of the Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan Implementation Strategy in 2027. 6. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to include the Yonge and Sheppard area as a potential location for a Community Recreation Centre as part of the City's exploration of alternative approaches for delivering community recreation services and facilities identified in Part 5 above and to report to the Executive Committee as part of the Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan Implementation Strategy in 2027. 7. City Council request the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the Toronto District School Board, and other relevant divisions and agencies, to identify and evaluate opportunities to support the potential expansion, modernization, and long-term capacity needs of Mitchell Field Community Centre, including consideration of potential partnerships or co-location opportunities, including the opportunity to build shared facilities with McKee Public School, in recognition of its strategic location to serve both existing residents and future growth in North York Centre and the broader Willowdale community, and to report to the Executive Committee as part of the Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan Implementation Strategy in 2027. 8. City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, to assess the feasibility of establishing a temporary location to incubate the operations of the planned Association of Community Centres Board of Management at 45-47 Sheppard Avenue East prior to the development of the permanent facility, and to report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee as part of the Association of Community Centres Facilities and Operations Plan in 2028. 9. City Council request the Board of Directors, CreateTO to direct the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, in consultation with appropriate City Officials such as the Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services, the Chief and General Manager, Toronto Paramedics Services, the Chief of Police, Toronto Police Service, and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, to: a. assess the need to replace or expand emergency services facilities, such as paramedic services stations, fire stations, and/or police stations within the North York Secondary Plan boundary, informed by anticipated growth outlined in the secondary plan; and b. work with the appropriate City Official(s) to advance any necessary business cases, including associated funding requirements through the budget process, with consideration of stations within podiums of mixed-use buildings as a model of delivery. 10. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to review and report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee on opportunities to apply the City's cultural and economic strategies, including Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto and Sidewalks to Skylines: A 10-Year Action Plan for Toronto's Economy, within North York Centre to support current and future growth, including: a. as part of the progress report for Cultural Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025 - 2035) in 2027, on findings from the Cultural Infrastructure Study, details of opportunities to plan for and deliver a community-accessible performance and cultural space that is affordable, flexible, and multi-purpose, including meanwhile and adaptive re-use of vacant commercial space for use by artists and arts organizations; b. in Phase 3 of the secondary plan, identify existing data on the economic impact of North York Centre as a work and culture hub, determine if further analysis is needed, and include economic development strategies to support the continued retention and viability of office space in North York Centre, along with expansion strategies as work patterns and office real estate markets evolve, recognizing its role as the largest concentration of office space beyond Downtown Toronto; and c. a review of the economic and cultural needs and opportunities in Centres outside Downtown and report back on the feasibility of a coordinated working group approach to support economic and cultural development across Centres outside of Downtown core, with a report back as part of the annual progress report of Culture Connects and Sidewalks to Skylines in 2027. 11. In recognition of the critical role played by Mel Lastman Square and Yonge Street as the heart of North York Centre, City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to work with the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the General Manager, Transportation Services, to: a. ensure the Infrastructure Implementation Strategy for North York Centre that will be prepared in Phase 3 reflects coordination requirements for Transform Yonge and potential future improvements to Mel Lastman Square; b. undertake a Public Space Public Life Study of Mel Lastman Square to inform the future vision for the Square incorporating the findings of the forthcoming North York Centre Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment; and c. based on the findings of Public Space Public Life Study of Mel Lastman Square, and utilizing a design-focussed procurement process, explore the feasibility of a design concept that creates a landmark that harmonizes a visionary Mel Lastman Square and Transform Yonge design to create a destination in Downtown North York that will spur economic and cultural development to support current density and future growth. 12. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, to investigate the feasibility of implementing Smart Traffic Signals at major signalized intersections within the North York Centre study area; and the feasibility of deploying Intelligent Intersections devices at key locations in the study area to assess current traffic and traffic-pattern changes associated with anticipated population growth. 13. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and Executive Director, Development Review to consider the following as part of Phase 3 of the development of the North York Centre Secondary Plan, and that these matters be included as part of the Phase 3 consultations: a. potential opportunities to reconfigure parkland priority areas around Bishop Park, Glendora Park/Wilket Trail and Hendon Park; b. the potential for additional height and density in the area bounded by Bishop Avenue, Pemberton Avenue, Kenneth Avenue and Willowdale Avenue; c. the potential for modifying the permitted land uses along Empress Avenue to support Mid-rise uses within 500 metres of the transit station and Low-Rise and Neighbourhoods outside of the 500 metre radius; d. the potential to reinforce the established retail main street along Willowdale Avenue between Sheppard Avenue East and Empress Avenue by extending the Priority Retail Street along Willowdale Avenue from Sheppard Avenue East to Empress Avenue and removing any retail requirements along Willowdale Avenue north of Empress Avenue; e. the potential of maintaining the Neighbourhoods designation along Willowdale Avenue between Finch Avenue East and Empress Avenue that are outside the Protected Major Transit Station Areas boundary; and f. potential opportunities to prioritize parkland expansion of Mitchell Field Park. 14. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review, in consultation with the General Manager, Children's Services, to review and consider how forthcoming North York Centre Secondary Plan policies and related implementation tools can be strengthened to secure new licensed child care centres within the North York Centre area through development approvals, community benefits, and public private partnerships, and to report back through the Implementation Strategy on potential funding and delivery mechanisms including exploring funding opportunities to support the future growth and expansion of child care, considering City priorities and available resources. 15. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review, to assess wind impacts on the public realm as part of the Wind Study for North York Centre that will be completed in Phase 3, and explore possible policies and design strategies to mitigate wind impacts in the public realm as part of the updated North York Centre Secondary Plan and Urban Design Guidelines to be developed in Phase 3 and to inform the redesign of Mel Lastman Square and design of Transform Yonge. 16. City Council request the General Manager, Toronto Water to assess impacts of proposed increased density on basement flooding as part of the Servicing Analysis for North York Centre that will be completed in Phase 3, identify if potential development would have any impact on the results and recommendations identified through completed Basement Flooding Studies for the area, and to report back through the Implementation Strategy on potential funding and delivery mechanisms for any work required. 17. City Council request the Deputy City Managers, in consultation with Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and local Councillors, to explore how City services and infrastructure within Centres may be planned for and delivered in a way to ensure that they receive adequate and equitable City services and infrastructure to support existing density and future growth and transformation over time, including consideration of evolving service and infrastructure needs, with North York Centre specific opportunities to be considered through the Phase 3 Infrastructure Implementation Strategy. 18. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review, in collaboration with the General Manager, Transportation Services, and in consultation with local school parent councils, to identify future bikeways within the North York Centre Secondary Plan area as part of Phase 3 of the North York Centre Secondary Plan Update to enable safe and convenient cycling access for students travelling to local schools. 19. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, to prioritize North York Centre as one of the areas for further assessment under the ongoing reviews of Visitor Parking Requirements for New Development (Parts 2 and 4 of Item 2026.PH27.8) and A Strategic Parking Framework for the City of Toronto (Parts 6 and 11 of Item 2025.IE22.2), and to include it in the Strategic Parking Framework report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in the first quarter of 2027. 20. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the Executive Director, Development Review, and the Executive Director, Social Development, to attend a consultation meeting with local faith leaders and communities organized by the local ward Councillor and consider the findings in the planning of future community spaces as part of the Secondary Plan implementation.