transit
Buried by deferral
191-199 College Street and 74-76 Henry Street; 240 McCormick Street; and 420-444 Young Street and 1223 College Street; three major mixed-use and housing redevelopments approved, with mixed support and significant tenant concerns
Toronto and East York Community Council approved three major zoning and Official Plan amendments on 2026-07-08: a 45-storey, 684-unit mixed-use tower at College and Henry (545 affordable units); a 19-storey Ronald McDonald House expansion; and a three-tower College Park redevelopment at Young and College (2,342 units, requiring demolition of 210 rental homes). The College Park item drew the most opposition, with residents citing infrastructure strain, tenant displacement over 5+ years, and cumulative density concerns in downtown core.
College Park (TE34.24) was held mid-debate and has not yet received a vote. Councillor Saxe explicitly stated the motion 'isn't ready yet' and asked to hold the item to draft language addressing George Trainey's setback concern. The three related items (TE34.25, TE34.26) were added to the same agenda. No timeline given for when the motion will return or when council will vote. This deferral could function as a decision if the report-back is delayed past the end of the term (October 2026 election) or if the hold is used to exhaust the opposition without going to a recorded vote.
Who did what
- Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 14, Toronto-Danforth) questioned staffAsked applicant about 12.5m setback absence; asked about transportation study authors and capacity for Uber/FedEx/parcel delivery management.
From the floor
“The tall building setback being reduced from 12 m to 7.5. And I should just be noted that 203 College Street was required when they applied to get the tall buildings setback reduced by the land tribunal to 12.12 meters.”A resident
“The transportation impact study falls well short of the reality of today's urban use of rear lanes and Henry Street. There is not one word of Uber type pickups or as the 210 people are noted for the daily hourly entering and leaving the building, the number of Uber pickups, the use of Amazon delivery trucks, the food delivery bicycles.”A resident
“We're very proud to be here to advance a development in partnership with the city that we'll will deliver what we believe will be Canada's largest single building affordable housing project. The initial iteration of the project already included 408 affordable units. We're adding 137 new affordable units with this application, bringing the total to 545 units. That's 80% of the total number of units in the entire building being affordable.”The Planning Partnership, on behalf of the owner and applicant
“The proposal before you today is to redevelop the existing Ronald McDonald House facility to provide an expansion that will accommodate 200 beds on the same site, allowing families to stay close to their children while they receive medical treatment in Toronto.”Bosefields, Inc., planning consultant for Ronald McDonald House Charities
“The College Park redevelopment builds on the site's iconic legacy while proposing new uses, amenities, and housing to create a livable contemporary urban experience. Overall, the proposal conserves and thought thoughtfully respects the heritage base building while introducing three towers on the site, 65, 96, and 75 stories.”Urban Strategies, on behalf of GWL Realty Advisors, the applicant
8 more people spoke
“Right now the number of people living there is putting serious strain on all of the infrastructure and I mean all of it. the subway station at peak times 10 12 people deep it can be five or six trains go by and that you can't get on 20 25 minute wait and very crowded.”A resident
“This area is full right now with given the infrastructure. We've had water shut offs because the water manes can't support the number of people. This is a question of prioritizing people or profits.”A resident
“This proposal would permit three towers of 65,75 and 96 stories with 2342 residential units. It will demolish 210 existing rental homes and replace them with 216 replacement rental units. It will alter the designated College Park Heritage building, including one of Toronto's major art deco landmarks.”Resident of Ward 11 and candidate for city council in Ward 11 University-Rosedale
“Move this forward only with stronger conditions before final council approval. Require clear clearer tenant accountability, clear construction and public realm communication, stronger heritage transparency, and a concrete community benefits package.”Resident of Ward 11 and candidate for city council in Ward 11 University-Rosedale
“I like the idea, but building three high-rise buildings with them expecting us to live for 5 years and probably a lot longer somewhere else when a lot of us have memory problems, dementia, Alzheimer's, heart problems, and multiple other problems.”A resident
“When I moved in, I did not plan on moving into an old age home. I don't want to. And that's what I'm going to have and that's bothering me now.”A resident
“This is an older building and it's rent controlled and so when they build new buildings, we're going to lose rent control buildings for future generations. And I think it's very important that we think about our future generations.”A resident
“The area like has too much density already. I think we really need to to put this thing to to an end.”A resident
Also in this item
• College Park redevelopment (TE34.24) held mid-debate by Councillor Saxe specifically to incorporate resident concern about setback reduction; suggests councillor responsiveness to environmental/urban design objection, but also indicates lack of consensus on motion language before deputation.
• Three-tower College Park project will demolish 210 existing rent-controlled units and replace with 216 at market rent, eliminating long-term affordability for ~90% of replacement units; this supply-side loss was raised by two tenants and not directly addressed by staff or applicant.
• College Park phasing delayed: original timeline promised completion by 2030, current plan extends displacement to 2032 with 5-year relocation period; elder and vulnerable tenant expressed distress and cited health impacts from uncertainty.
• Infrastructure strain testimony from multiple sources: transit crowding (20-25 min waits at College station), schools at capacity with portables, water main failures, cell phone dead zones from tower density. City staff did not respond to cumulative-effect concerns.
The journey
Time to act
You can weigh in
College Park (TE34.24) explicitly held; motion pending when Councillor Saxe returns. No vote yet recorded. For residents: deputation window remains open on amendments being drafted. Ronald McDonald House and College-Henry both passed without amendment; no further action possible on those two.
Decision
Item TE34.21 (College and Henry): approved as presented with 45-storey height, 684 units including 545 affordable at 80% of total. Item TE34.22 (Ronald McDonald House): approved as presented, 19-storey main component with 4-storey Henry Street element, 200-bed capacity. Item TE34.24 (College Park): held on request of Councillor Saxe to incorporate George Trainey's concern about setback reduction (from 12m to 7.5m) into motion language; three related items (TE34.25, TE34.26) added to agenda.
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