housing
Heritage permit for 64 Wellesley Street East tower expansion; neighbours oppose scale and traffic impact
Toronto and East York Community Council considered a heritage permit under the Ontario Heritage Act for alterations to the Wellesley Apartments (1931) at 64 Wellesley Street East to allow a mixed-use development with a third tower. Neighbours objected to the proposal's density, traffic, shadow and property value impacts, citing changes from an earlier approved scheme; city staff recommended approval as heritage impacts are mitigated.
From the floor
“The current infrastructure and the way the area was designed do not support this level of residential density, especially this site. The proposed design includes only two vehicle exits into a two-way street. None of the 40 tall towers along the Humber Bay Shores and the Queensway Lake Shridor have these same conditions.”A resident
“I mean we support new housing and thoughtful intensification. However, we oppose this application because it goes beyond the community plan that was previously approved for this site and we believe it will be having negative long-term impact in our neighborhood.”A resident
“This third tower is too much. I find it a bit of a game. Over the years I've watched successive changes to apartment ratios, garage ratios and spots and all the rest of that. And I find that we've been gradually pushed into this corner.”President, condo corporation YCCC87
“As a three-time cancer survivor, that has real consequences for my mental health and that of my kids well-being. It also has real financial consequence. Once that tower goes up, no one will choose a shadowed south facing unit when there's a north facing one available. My value will drop.”A resident
“When our own councilor Perks recommends approval before residents have even had a chance to speak, it's hard not to wonder whose interests are actually being prioritized here.”A resident
1 more person spoke
“We moved in in 1997 to raise family, and when the plaza that was before was closed with signs that going to be redevelopment, that was back in 2004. We it never happened until a year ago. So it took more than 20 years for these things to happen. Why?”A resident
Also in this item
• The proposed development revises an earlier approved scheme (2023); staff state the new conservation strategy and amended heritage easement mitigate heritage impacts, but the revision appears to include a third tower not previously approved at this scale.
• Community Council heard sustained multi-household opposition from adjacent condo residents citing traffic, structural safety, shadow and property value impacts; no pro-development deputation is recorded in the provided transcript.
• One resident alleged Councillor Gord Perks recommended approval before the public deputation period, raising procedural fairness concerns.
The journey
Time to act
You can weigh in
Residents may have deputation rights at City Council if this item advances; the decision appears pending based on the transcript provided (only deputations shown, no vote recorded).
On video
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