housing
70-storey tower at Isabella Street, approved; heritage buildings preserved and relocated
City council committee approved a staff recommendation to allow a 70-storey, 228.5-metre residential tower (599 units, including 50 rental replacements) on Isabella Street in Cabbagetown, with two heritage buildings moved closer to the street. The proposal replaces 38 rental units and 25 rooming units with 50 rental replacement units. One deputant requested World Pride murals be recreated on the facade as a design requirement.
From the floor
“[Audio garbled in transcript; content not recoverable]”Spoke on the record
“I am a single mother who lives at 60 Southport. I am a social worker who's worked in community my entire career. I now work with a research team at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health and the majority of my work is related to creating inclusive communities where people are able to safely get around in their communities. This slab tower is going to be spilling a thousand more people into our streets and I have not been safe to actually cycle around the way I used to.”Resident of 60 Southport; social worker at Center for Addiction and Mental Health
“Please don't approve this. Please allow safety and infrastructure to be built first.”Resident of 60 Southport; social worker at Center for Addiction and Mental Health
“I've been a resident of 60 Southport since 2019. I'm a naturopathic doctor and a registered psychotherapist and my work and values are centered on health. Health is shaped by the strength of our communities, access to nature, safety and stability. These conditions improve mental and physical health. They strengthen child development and they help people live longer and healthier lives.”Resident of 60 Southport since 2019; naturopathic doctor and registered psychotherapist
“Southport Street is a two-lane local road without so much as a crosswalk. The planning report acknowledges increased traffic, shadow, loss of light, wind, reduced open space, and a pressure on infrastructure. These impacts are considered acceptable, but acceptable to whom?”Resident of 60 Southport since 2019; naturopathic doctor and registered psychotherapist
3 more people spoke
“More than 1600 people signed a petition, and dozens wrote submissions while having no background in planning, law, or politics. If community consultation is to be meaningful, then our experience has to matter when the technical reports don't reflect what hundreds of residents are experiencing.”Resident of 60 Southport since 2019; naturopathic doctor and registered psychotherapist
“I believe council should air on the side of caution because we elected you to represent us and so I urge you to reconsider the recommendations, reject or defer this amendment so that you can process what you heard today and create a plan that incorporates what Sony Swansea residents actually need.”Resident of 60 Southport since 2019; naturopathic doctor and registered psychotherapist
“I am specifically asking that the city council recommend to the developer and include it in the bylaw that they must recreate the world pride murals and include it in part of the design and the facade because the Toronto Preservation Board, they liked it. The developer representing them, they liked it, too.”A deputant
Also in this item
• More than 1600 residents signed a petition against the amendment and dozens submitted written objections, yet the staff recommendation was approved without debate or recorded opposition in committee.
• The proposal replaces 38 existing rental units and 25 rooming rooms with only 50 rental replacement units; net rental housing impact not stated in record.
The journey
Decision
Staff recommendation approved without recorded opposition or amendment in the transcript excerpt. The motion to move staff's recommendation carried on a call for 'all those in favour.'
On video
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