New details have emerged about the revitalization coming to Bloor and Dufferin. According to Urban Toronto, Capital Developments and Metropia have submitted an application to the City of Toronto for their proposal to redevelop the lands on the southwest corner. The redevelopment would see the construction of 9 new buildings on the site ranging in height from 6 to 47 storeys, aiming to create a complete mixed-use community with residential, retail, office, and community spaces proposed.
The size of the site and its proximity to transit and other amenities lends itself to some staggering numbers: a total of 2,219 residential units are proposed, amounting to roughly 147,500 square metres of residential gross floor area, with 15,780 square metres of retail space, 4,900 square metres of office space, and roughly 2,800 square metres of community space included. A new public park is also proposed for the southwest corner of the site. According to the proposal, the development will be divided into seven blocks and involve the creation of two, brand new, north-south streets.
The two new streets being proposed are: a public street along the western edge of the site that would be an extension of Pauline Avenue, and a private street through the middle of the site that the design team has dubbed a new 'High Street'. The central High Street would be the main retail strip in the development, with the potential to be closed to vehicular traffic for special events. Pedestrianized east-west connections are proposed between each block. The developers hope to build a total of nine new mixed-use buildings on the site in addition to the historic Kent Senior Public School building, which will be refurbished and retained for use within the community.
"We're delivering a range of housing to meet the needs of a growing and diverse population in #BloorDufferin," reads a message posted by the revitalization team on Twitter. It is still early in the design process for the Bloor & Dufferin redevelopment, so there will likely be changes forthcoming to the proposal, but according to a website run by Capital Developments and Metropia, they expect to complete a "final review" in 2018.
