In her piece, New 44-storey church-condo proposal has midtown residents praying for construction relief , Real Estate reporter Tess Kalinowski describes the development frenzy that has overtaken the Yonge-Eglinton neighbourhood and the concerns of the Republic Residents' Association and other local groups.
Although the article focuses on the proposed development of St. Monica’s Church on Broadway Ave., which would create a 44-storey condo tower behind a new church, it also addresses the rejection by the province of the Midtown in Focus plan, as adopted by Toronto City Council.
Ms. Kalinowski toured the neighbourhood and spoke to a number of residents and representatives from several associations who have worked very hard to help develop and promote the adoption of the Midtown in Focus plan. She also connected with Minister Clark's office, Toronto chief planner Gregg Lintern, Councillor Jaye Robinson, Collecdev (the developer) and the Toronto Archdiocese, which owns the property.
The article points out:
“Although the city must abide by the Official Plan amendment set out by the province, it can take steps to manage the development, including through zoning bylaws that prescribe more precisely what can be built within the larger vision — features such as building setbacks and green streets.”
The article continues:
“Meantime, the city is doing a block study on Broadway to understand how the St. Monica’s development could work in relation to other sites on the block.”
In all, this thorough piece gives a realistic overview of what is happening in the neighbourhood and allows the major stakeholders to express their views.
We hope that by continuing to highlight the issue of overdevelopment in this community we can encourage developers and the provincial government to reconsider Midtown in Focus, as adopted by the City of Toronto.
Photo - Courtesy of The Toronto Star - Richard Lautens