Item - 2021.TE29.88

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to undertake, in consultation with the Ward Councillor and the community, to coordinate the application review process for the existing and future applications at the corner of Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street West, that include public realm, urban design, transportation impacts, sustainability and potential for district energy, city servicing and heritage, and undertake any studies Planning staff deem necessary and policy reviews Planning staff deem necessary, as a result of this coordinated approach.

2. City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to initiate Indigenous-led engagement to inform the redevelopments at the Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street West intersection.

The four corners at Bloor Street West and Spadina intersection is facing significant transformation in the near future due to large-scale anticipated growth. Both northern corners of the intersection currently have applications submitted to the City to permit high-rise towers and the southeast corner has been identified as a development site for the University of Toronto. This high level of planned growth warrants a comprehensive lens to inform the redevelopment of this major downtown intersection.

Thousands of new residents will potentially be housed at this single intersection. While there are planning studies and frameworks, development guidelines, and policy documents such as the Official Plan and TOCore, the breadth of development that is now anticipated for this area exceeds what was initially expected. While there are height restrictions and building envelope guidelines, coordination of the development proposals and understanding of the cumulative impact of development (human density) to infrastructure is an important piece that needs to be considered.

The Bloor-Spadina intersection also holds significance for Indigenous communities. The name Spadina itself originates from Ojibway "Ishpadinaa", "a place on a hill". Immediately to the north of Bloor on Spadina, there are two important Indigenous cultural and housing organizations, Wigwamen Terrace, a seniors housing residence managed by Wigwamen Inc, Ontario's largest Aboriginal urban housing provider as well as Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. Through engagement with Toronto-based Indigenous organizations, the importance of the south east corner in terms of its significance as a gathering space for indigenous people in the city, including those who have recently arrived to Toronto, was highlighted.

During the Working Group meetings for the Development Application of 334-350 Bloor, the importance of meaningful Indigenous engagement to inform the redevelopment of the Bloor and Spadina intersection came up as an important element, that both residents, the Applicant, and City Staff felt should be properly pursued in all applications in this area.