79, 81, and 93 Ontario Street zoning approval; 16-storey tower with 98 units replaces approved low-rise townhouse building

housing

79, 81, and 93 Ontario Street zoning approval; 16-storey tower with 98 units replaces approved low-rise townhouse building

City staff recommend approving a zoning amendment to permit a 16-storey condominium tower with 98 dwelling units on a site originally approved for low-rise townhouses. The amendment increases density significantly and departs from the Official Plan's floor space ratio. Community members are split: residents object to the density and lack of green space; the applicant's representative supports the staff recommendation.

not yet heardToronto City Council · Wed, Jul 29

From the floor

“Building C is 10 times the size of the land it's perched on. It's a 250% variance of the official plan. Please, councilors, do not approve building C. You have already approved the project. Please leave well enough alone. There is no need to punish us with too much density, too many units, too many cars, too many people jammed into zero green space.”A resident

“We are fully in support of a staff recommendations for the application which recommend approval for the official plan amendment and zoning by amendment applications and these applications would as stated by a number of residents from the area add a third tower to the development in place of a low-rise townhouse building which is originally approved as tower as building C as part of the application that application was 14 years ago was approved in 2012 originally submitted in 2010 and the proposed tower which is now on the table will fit on the site has been designed to be generally in line with the tall building design guidelines.”Spoke on the record

Also in this item

• A 16-storey tower at 64 metres replaces an originally-approved low-rise townhouse building from a 2012 approval, representing a significant density increase on a downtown infill site near Ontario Street.

The journey

Wed, Jul 8 · Toronto and East York Community Council · amended

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

Decision

Approved as recommended by staff. The zoning amendment permits a 16-storey, 64-metre building (including mechanical penthouse) with 98 dwelling units and 78 square metres of non-residential space, with a holding provision. This replaces the previously-approved low-rise townhouse building (Building C).

On video

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Why is this story here?

Big deal at city hallThis is a zoning amendment that permits a 16-storey tower with 98 units where only low-rise townhouses were previously approved. The departure from the Official Plan (250% variance in floor space ratio) and the shift in use and density represent hard-to-reverse land-use decisions that commit the site to high-rise residential for decades. The holding provision acknowledges conditions, but the core zoning change is permanent absent a future amendment.Felt nowResidents in the immediate area (Ontario Street and surrounds) experience this directly: the tower changes the streetscape, shadow, wind, traffic, and parking pressure on their blocks. The original approval 14 years ago established neighbourhood expectations; the amendment changes what was promised. Anyone living within 200 metres will notice the construction and the result.

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Official title: 79, 81, and 93 Ontario Street - Zoning By-law Amendment Application - Decision Report - Approval · meeting video