Plans to add 685 more units to a large mixed-use development on the south side of Sheppard Avenue East, between the Bessarion and Leslie subway stations, has residents up in arms. The approved plans — the product of considerable community input — allow for the construction of 4,000 residential units in towers ranging from six to 28 storeys. East of Provost Drive, the buildings have already gone up. To the west of Provost Drive, owner Concord Adex Corporation is seeking planning approvals to move the park to the centre of the development, push tall buildings up against the highway and reduce parking requirements. The proposal would increase the height of the tallest building to 36 storeys.
Gabriel Leung, a representative of Concord Adex Corporation, said that his company decided that the design of the development could be improved when it purchased the property from Canadian Tire. Some of the revisions were intended to discourage car dependency, so that additional parking spaces would not be needed. Leung pointed to a car sharing program, pedestrian and bike paths and a shuttle to the nearby subway station.
Doug Stephens, president of the Bayview Village Association, said that, in theory, the plans may promote pedestrian and transit options, but he believes that the reality would be different.
“No matter how you pack, stack or rack them, there are too many units,” Stephens said.
Local councillor David Shiner noted that for some residents, it’s their first time seeing the development plans, including the elements that were approved in 2002.
“People are concerned about the impact it’s going to have on them, mostly from a traffic perspective,” Shiner said. The next step is for City of Toronto staff to complete a final report on the application and make a recommendation to approve or deny the application to North York Community Council.