1439 Bloor Street West zoning amendment approved; 33-storey apartment tower with 6 affordable units

housing

1439 Bloor Street West zoning amendment approved; 33-storey apartment tower with 6 affordable units

City Council approved a zoning amendment to allow a 33-storey residential tower with 377 units at 1439 Bloor Street West, including 6 affordable rental units and retail space. A resident deputant raised concerns about the demolition of an existing rent-controlled building and the cumulative density of tall towers in the area, but the item advanced without recorded opposition from the committee.

not yet heardToronto City Council · Wed, Jul 29Province decides

From the floor

“My name is Shafak Latif and I moved into the building less than a year ago. My concern is that 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 because, you know, it's hard to get rent control buildings in the city the way that the city is. And I would like for the city to think about the people before the profits and I mean city councilors to think about the people before the profits. So please keep in mind the future generations like we lose this rent control building and many others what are we going to do you know so I really feel that this is important. So I want I want I don't want to have and and the density is so in intense. We have like five or six tall skinny towers in that one area. They're all like more than 30 stories. It's so dense and”A resident

Also in this item

• Only 6 of 377 units required as affordable rental; the existing rent-controlled building will be demolished

The journey

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

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

Decision

Zoning By-law Amendment approved to permit a 33-storey apartment building with 377 units (6 affordable), 994 square metres of retail and commercial space at 1439 Bloor Street West.

On video

Jump to this item in the meeting video

Why is this story here?

Big deal at city hallThis is a zoning amendment that permits a multi-year, 33-storey residential development at a specific site, changing land use and density. It is hard to reverse (would require another zoning amendment process) and represents a permanent change to the streetscape and housing supply at this location. The loss of an existing rent-controlled building in favour of a new tower with minimal affordability (6 of 377 units) is a substantive policy outcome that affects the neighbourhood's housing composition.Felt nowThis affects residents of the immediate area and those seeking rental housing in the neighbourhood. The demolition of a rent-controlled building and its replacement with market-rate units has a direct effect on the rental landscape of the Bloor-Perth corridor. Current tenants of the existing building face displacement; future renters lose a rent-controlled option. The cumulative density effect (deputant cited five or six towers over 30 storeys in the area) is felt by pedestrians and existing residents navigating the streetscape now.

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Official title: 1439 Bloor Street West - Zoning By-law Amendment Application - Decision Report - Approval · meeting video