Item - 2025.PH20.8

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council approve the Initial Development Proposal outlined in this report as the initial project concept for the revitalization of Toronto Community Housing Corporation's properties located at 1-154 Swansea Mews (“Swansea Mews”).

2. City Council request that the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors direct the appropriate officers to submit a Rental Housing Demolition and Conversion application to demolish the existing uninhabitable vacant 154 social housing units located at Swansea Mews, and address replacement obligations and provide an acceptable Tenant Relocation and Assistance Implementation Plan in conjunction with Official Plan Amendment, and Zoning By-Law Amendment applications. 

3. City Council authorize and request the Executive Director, Development Review, to defer payment of all planning application fees at 1-154 Swansea Mews until such time as Toronto Community Housing Corporation submits a Site Plan Application.

4. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Development Review to enter into an agreement with Toronto Community Housing Corporation setting out the terms and conditions of the deferral of all planning application fees in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

5. City Council authorize and request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to waive the fees associated with the Rental Housing Demolition applications at 1-154 Swansea Mews.

6. City Council authorize and request the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to waive the fees associated with the demolition permit applications at 1-154 Swansea Mews.

7. City Council request the Deputy City Manager Development and Growth Services, Executive Director, Housing Development Office, and Executive Director, Development Review in collaboration with the appropriate City Divisions, CreateTO and Toronto Community Housing Corporation, report to City Council for approval of both an Actions Report and Planning Report, respectively, for Swansea Mews in accordance with Stage 2: Procurement and Final Consents of the approvals framework for Toronto Community Housing Corporation Revitalization projects in the fourth quarter of 2025.  

8. City Council request the Deputy City Manager Development and Growth Services and Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the President and Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, engage other orders of government to request funding and low-cost financing necessary to deliver the Swansea Mews Revitalization, including:

a. to forward this report to the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to request program and financial support for the implementation of the Swansea Mews revitalization project; and

b. engage with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada to examine funding and low-cost financing opportunities to support the Swansea Mews revitalization.

9. City Council direct that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 remain confidential in its entirety, until such time as the Toronto Community Housing Corporation agrees that the confidential information may be disclosed to the public.

The Swansea Mews community is a 5.3 acre Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) property located at the intersection of the Queensway and Windermere Avenue consisting of 154 rent-geared to income (RGI) homes in nine 4-storey blocks of stacked townhomes. Following an incident of structural failure, an Emergency Order was issued by the Chief Building Official in June 2022 and all residents were immediately relocated offsite. Based on independent, professional reports, the structural failure was determined to be due to a defect in the building’s original construction. Faced with the risks of future structural failures, demolition was determined to be the only viable course of action. Today, the buildings remain vacant and uninhabitable. 108 households maintain a right to return to the once it is redeveloped and the homes are replaced.

Toronto Community Housing Corporation has over two decades of experience in the successful revitalization of its communities, in partnership with residents. Toronto Community Housing Corporation revitalization projects play a central role within the delivery of the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan, in helping meet goals for maintaining social housing and adding to new affordable rental housing supply. This includes a wholistic approach to predevelopment, design, construction, and community engagement and relocation. Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s 10-year development plan, in partnership with the City, aims to deliver over 10,000 new homes in our city by 2035. Swansea Mews is a critical site within this development plan.

On July 16, 2019, through Item No. PH7.4, "A New Approvals Framework for Toronto Community Housing Corporation Revitalization Projects", City Council adopted a new approvals framework for Toronto Community Housing Corporation revitalization projects. As part of this new approvals framework, a stage gate process was established to provide the City with early and enhanced oversight of Toronto Community Housing Corporation projects, and to ensure that these revitalizations support strategic city-building priorities.

Pursuant to this approval framework, this report recommends that City Council endorse, in principle, Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s proposed plans to redevelop the Swansea Mews community as outlined herein as the Initial Development Proposal (IDP) as a general concept prior to proceeding to the next stage of the approvals framework.

The Initial Development Proposal envisions the replacement of 154 rent-geared to income homes onsite. 154 homes have been vacant due to safety issues following the incident of structural failure on May 27, 2022. In addition to Toronto Community Housing Corporation replacement homes at Swansea Mews, initial massing studies suggest that approximately 550-700 net new homes (beyond the 154 replacement social housing homes) can be achieved on-site with varying levels of affordability and ownership models, and approximately 1,400 – 1,860 square meters of commercial, community, and/or amenity space. The total gross floor area (GFA) and estimated unit counts will be confirmed through the rezoning process.

Other city-building objectives are also proposed to be achieved including improved open/park space, improved access and road alignment, increased tenant benefits through community economic development programs, and an overall design that will promote community safety and social cohesion.

This Initial Development Proposal for the Swansea Mews Community was developed in consultation with an interdivisional City working group and establishes a preliminary framework for future investment and redevelopment, including the creation of three residential development blocks, a large open space, a new road network and an overall design that will promote community safety and sound planning principles.

The built form and design concept will continue to be developed and refined through the development review and community consultation process. An appropriate Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, plan of sub-division (if required), site plan and built form will be created which will form the basis of the final proposal for the site.

The approval of this Initial Development Proposal will allow Toronto Community Housing Corporation to proceed to Stage 2 of the approvals framework which includes the submission of both an Actions Report and Planning Report for City Council approval. These forthcoming reports will be based on public consultation, planning application submissions, and a real estate development plan that ultimate defines the business terms and recommended delivery model for the project. 

The future Actions Report, to be prepared by Toronto Community Housing Corporation, will consider potential non-profit rental and co-operative and private sector development partners and partnership arrangements. The proposed number of homes, levels of affordability and tenure, third-party funding sources and overall financial implications will be assessed through the new Housing Delivery Governance Framework, that includes staff from the City, CreateTO and Toronto Community Housing Corporation and which is led by the new Housing Development Office. This will be done prior to recommendations being brought forward to Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s Board and City Council.