Item - 2025.PH26.6

The Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review recommend that:

1. City Council endorse the North York at the Centre Final Options and Directions Report, found in Attachment 1 to this report, as the basis for the next phase of community engagement and direct staff to continue working with the Ward Councillor on the community engagement program for the Secondary Plan update in Phase 3 of the study.

2. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the Executive Director, Development Review to report back to Planning and Housing Committee in Q1 2027 with recommended Official Plan Amendments for the North York Centre Secondary Plan and accompanying Urban Design Guidelines and an Infrastructure Implementation Strategy.

3. City Council request the Executive Director, Development Review, in consultation with other City Divisions, to consider the policy directions from the North York at the Centre Options and Directions Report, found in Attachment 1 to this report, in the review of development applications to support consistent planning outcomes during the interim period prior to the adoption of an updated Secondary Plan for North York Centre.

On January 19, 2021, the Planning and Housing Committee adopted Item 2021.PH20.2 and directed City Planning to review the North York Centre Secondary Plan. This report summarizes the first two phases of community engagement for that review, known as 'North York at the Centre', and proposes guiding principles and directions for updating the Secondary Plan in the next phase of work.

The existing North York Centre Secondary Plan was adopted in 1997 and has shaped significant development and public investment in the area for nearly three decades. North York Centre is now home to more than 50,000 residents and nearly 35,000 employees, making it the largest office-based employment hub in Toronto outside of Downtown. It also plays a key role in welcoming newcomers, with over three quarters of its residents born outside of Canada.

While the original vision to create a downtown for North York has largely been achieved, development pressure continues. North York Centre remains a desirable place to live, work and play, with reliable transit connections and access to shops, services, public spaces, and community facilities. To support and address continued growth pressures in and surrounding North York Centre, updated policies are needed. These will help guide development over the coming decades and ensure the plan is consistent with current Provincial policy and regulations, which have changed significantly over the last two decades.

Over 1,000 attendees participated in seven public meetings held in Phases 1 and 2 of the project. Online engagement was also strong, with over 1,300 people participating in surveys and a community mapping exercise. Ten community pop-ups helped raise project awareness, and 555 people signed up to receive e-updates. The North York Centre Local Advisory Committee (LAC) met five times to review project materials, provide feedback and receive training to host six workshops within their own communities and organizations. Through the various engagement activities, a wide range of diverse residents, including those from equity-deserving groups, provided input into the project. Additionally, to support truth and reconciliation, Phases 1 and 2 included meetings with First Nations (the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Six Nations of the Grand River), the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council, and local Indigenous communities.

Three overarching lenses and five guiding principles were identified in Phase 1 to guide the review, based on community input and analysis of North York Centre's unique context. The Recommended Option, outlined in Attachment 1, builds on these foundations, with consideration for community feedback on preliminary options and recent changes to Official Plan policies for Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSAs). The Recommended Option proposes to:

- Expand the Secondary Plan boundary to include PMTSAs along TTC Line 1 and the area east to Willowdale Avenue. New mixed use and building height permissions in the boundary expansion area would facilitate a greater mix of housing types, provide a gradual height transition that mitigates existing wind conditions, improve east-west connectivity and create a more complete community structure.

- Green the public realm by planting more street trees and adding soft landscaping, while expanding parkland in strategic locations to create larger parks that can support a wider range of community programming.

- Introduce greater flexibility for new residential and non-residential uses, while continuing to protect and grow North York Centre’s role as an employment hub.

- Celebrate and support the range of uses that make North York Centre a destination for people across the city -- including arts and culture, retail, civic spaces and institutional services.

Details about how the draft options were evaluated, along with a description of the Recommended Option, are provided in the Final Options and Directions Report (Attachment 1). A Community Services and Facilities (CS&F) Strategy (Attachment 2) outlines the investments required to support the level of growth proposed in the Recommended Option.

Pending Council's direction, Phase 3 of the study will begin in January 2026 and be completed in Q1 2027. This phase will include updates to Secondary Plan policies and a range of supporting technical studies and modelling, including for transportation, servicing, sun/shadow and wind. The Recommended Option will act as a baseline for the additional analysis to be undertaken. Phase 3 will also include a Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment, Urban Design Guidelines, and an Infrastructure Implementation Strategy that outlines how and when transportation, servicing and community facilities will be delivered to support future growth. Community engagement will continue in Phase 3, providing opportunities for local residents, businesses, interested parties and Indigenous communities to review and provide feedback on draft materials and policies before they are finalized.

There are no financial implications for this budget year resulting from the recommendations included in this report. The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.