Queen and Berkeley mixed-use tower approved; 545 units, 7 rental replaced with tenant protections

housing

Queen and Berkeley mixed-use tower approved; 545 units, 7 rental replaced with tenant protections

City Council recommended approval of a 49-storey, 545-unit mixed-use development at Queen and Berkeley, with replacement of 7 demolished rental units at protected rents, a tenant assistance plan, and a new parkland dedication. The zoning amendment includes a holding provision pending conditions; a separate vote on permanent lane closure will follow.

not yet heardToronto City Council · Wed, Jul 29

Also in this item

• Seven existing rental units slated for demolition will be replaced in-building at similar rents; all existing tenants have right of return under the tenant assistance plan.

• Permanent closure of the public lane that forms part of the site will be decided by City Council in a separate process.

The journey

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

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

Decision

Zoning amendment approved with holding provision. Seven rental units will be demolished and replaced in the new building at similar rents with tenant assistance plan. Approximately 350 square metres of non-residential ground-floor space and 143 square metres of parkland dedication included. Lane acquisition and permanent closure deferred to separate City Council process.

On video

Jump to this item in the meeting video

Why is this story here?

ContainedA single site zoning change with a holding provision, bounded in scope. The rental replacement at protected rents and tenant assistance plan mitigate the demolition impact. While the project is substantial in physical size (49 storeys, 545 units), the institutional decision is a site-specific variance, reversible by a future council through a future zoning process, not a structural constraint on city powers or policy. Passes the test: a future council could rezone the site if circumstances changed.Felt nowThe decision directly affects residents of the seven rental units slated for demolition, who now have a documented right to return at protected rents, a material protection. For the broader neighbourhood, a 49-storey tower on a major intersection is a tangible land-use change that alters the streetscape and density immediately around Queen and Berkeley. No present-week effect on transit, retail, or services (those follow construction), so not broad-and-immediate, but the zoning approval and tenant protection are in force now and affect a named, identifiable group and their neighbourhood's form.

Stories are ordered by how much weight a decision carries and how directly it reaches daily life. They rise as a decision date approaches and fall as they age.

Official title: 329 to 337 Queen Street East, 135R to 141R and 139 to 141 Berkeley Street - Zoning By-law Amendment Application - Decision Report - Approval · meeting video