According to locals, a nine-storey retirement residence proposed for Bathurst Street is a poor fit for the area and will worsen traffic on an already overwhelmed street.
“This area is prime for development, but nobody is making inroads when it comes to traffic,” said local Marie Rosaria. “It takes me 48 minutes to get out of Yorkdale mall.”
The proposal, slated for just north of Lawrence Avenue, would include 180 retirement units and potentially three floors of office space. David Nitkin, a nearby resident, said most of the traffic will likely come from office employees. He also said the building is upscale in design and clashes with plans to revitalize Lawrence Heights as an inclusive, mixed-use and mixed-income community. However, according to Coun. Karen Stintz, the revitalization project will take 25 years.
In the meantime, the community’s current concerns need to be addressed. Adam Brown, the lawyer representing site owner Medallion Developments Inc., said a retirement home is a popular choice with aging locals. “It’s a fairly strong Jewish community, so this facility allows people to walk to synagogue, to walk to the bakery,” he said.
