Item - 2026.PH28.5

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council approve the Rental Housing Demolition Application File Number 25 266763 NNY 08 RH in accordance with Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code and pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to permit the demolition of 121 existing rental dwelling units located at 1-97 Dorney Court, 2-8 Flemington Road and 21-39 Varna Drive, subject to the following conditions:

a. The owner shall provide and maintain no less than 175 replacement social housing units with rents geared-to-income within the Lawrence Heights Phase 2 lands, in addition to the 102 replacement social housing units secured on the Lawrence Heights Phase 2 lands through NY11.3, for a period of at least 99 years beginning from the date that each replacement social housing unit is first occupied and, during which time, no application may be submitted to the City for condominium registration, or for any other conversion to a non-rental housing purpose, or for demolition without providing for replacement; and

b. The 175 Phase 2 replacement social housing units required by Recommendation 1.a. above shall be comprised of 127 one-bedroom units, 34 three-bedroom units, and 14 four-bedroom units, as generally illustrated in the architectural plans submitted to City Planning dated December 15, 2025. Any revision to these plans shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

c. The owner shall provide and maintain no less than 10 replacement social housing units with rents geared-to-income within the Lawrence Heights Phase 3 lands for a period of at least 99 years beginning from the date that each replacement social housing unit is first occupied and, during which time, no application may be submitted to the City for condominium registration, or for any other conversion to a non-rental housing purpose, or for demolition without providing for replacement;

d. The 10 Phase 3 replacement social housing units required by Recommendation 1.c. above shall be comprised of 10 five-bedroom units. The location, unit sizes and layouts of these 10 replacement social housing units shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

e. The owner shall provide tenant relocation assistance to all Eligible Tenants of the 121 existing social housing units proposed to be demolished at 1-97 Dorney Court, 2-8 Flemington Road and 21-39 Varna Drive, including the right to return to occupy a replacement social housing unit to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and as further detailed in the Tenant Relocation and Assistance Implementation Plan;

f. The owner shall provide tenants of all 175 replacement social housing units with access to, and use of, all indoor and outdoor amenities within the proposed Phase 2 buildings at no extra charge. Access to, and use of, these amenities shall be on the same terms and conditions as any other resident of the building without the need to pre-book or pay a fee, unless specifically required as a customary practice for private bookings;

g. The owner shall enter into, and register on title to the lands at 1-97 Dorney Court, 2-8 Flemington Road and 21-39 Varna Drive and any additional lands that comprise the Lawrence Heights Phase 2 and 3 Revitalization (Lawrence Heights Phase 2 and Phase 3 lands), one or more agreements pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, to secure the conditions outlined in Recommendations 1.a. through 1.f. above all to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2. City Council authorize the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to issue phased Preliminary Approval of the Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 for the demolition of the 121 existing rental dwelling units located at 1-97 Dorney Court, 2-8 Flemington Road and 21-39 Varna Drive after all of the following have occurred:

a. All conditions in Recommendation 1 above have been fully secured;

b. The Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments for application 25 251661 NNY 08 OZ have come into full force and effect;

c. The Tenant Relocation and Assistance Implementation Plan has been approved by the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and Executive Director, Housing Secretariat;

d. The owner has provided Typical Unit Layouts for the replacement social housing units, to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning; and

e. The owner has confirmed, in writing, that all existing social housing units proposed to be demolished are vacant.

3. City Council authorize the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to issue a Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code for the lands at 1-97 Dorney Court, 2-8 Flemington Road and 21-39 Varna Drive after the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning or their designate has given Preliminary Approval referred to in Recommendation 2 above.

4. City Council authorize the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to issue a Residential Demolition Permit under Section 33 of the Planning Act and Chapter 363 of the Toronto Municipal Code for 1-97 Dorney Court, 2-8 Flemington Road and 21-39 Varna Drive, after the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning has given Preliminary Approval referred to in Recommendation 2 above, which may be included in the Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 pursuant to section 6.2 of Chapter 363, on condition that:

a. The owner removes all debris and rubble from the site immediately after demolition;

b. The owner erects solid construction hoarding to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building;

c. The owner erects the replacement units on the Lawrence Heights Phase 2 lands no later than four (4) years from the date that the demolition of the existing social housing units commences, subject to the timeframe being extended to the discretion of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning; and

d. Should the owner fail to complete the replacement social housing units within the time specified in Recommendation 4.c. above, the City Clerk shall be entitled to enter on the collector’s roll, as with municipal property taxes, an amount equal to the sum of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) per dwelling unit for which a demolition permit is issued, and that such amount shall, until payment, be a lien or charge upon the land for which the Residential Demolition Permit is issued.

5. City Council authorize the appropriate City officials to take such actions as are necessary to implement City Council's decision, including execution of one or more Section 111 Agreement(s) and other related agreements.

The Planning and Housing Committee held a Statutory Public Meeting on February 26, 2026 and notice was given in accordance with the City of Toronto Act.

This report recommends approval of a Rental Housing Demolition application which proposes to demolish 121 existing social housing units within townhouses at 1-97 Dorney Court, four two-storey residential rental apartment buildings at 2-8 Flemington Road and ten single-detached homes at 21-39 Varna Drive. The 175 social housing units are proposed to be replaced by Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) as part of Phases 2 and 3 of the Lawrence Heights revitalization, which is part of the Toronto Builds initiative. The proposal includes a Tenant Relocation and Assistance Implementation Plan (TRAIP) that addresses the right of existing tenants to return to replacement social housing units at similar rents.

The proposed development on the site is the subject of a related Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application (25 251661 NNY 08 OZ) and a Plan of Subdivision application (25 251663 NNY 08 SB) for the entirety of Phase 2 lands. Phase 2 of the Lawrence Heights revitalization includes the replacement of 277 social housing units, 150 new TCHC affordable units, 44 new TCHC seniors' units, 316 affordable non-profit housing units and 960 market units for a total of 1,747 units. The 277 proposed Phase 2 replacement social housing units include: 111 units proposed to be demolished as part of this report (25 266763 NNY 08 RH), 102 units previously approved for demolition as part of Phase 2A at 3 and 5 Leila Lane, and 31-109 Bagot Court (23 174083 NNY 08 RH) and 64 units at 14-20 Flemington Road, which are part of Phase 4. The remaining 10 units proposed for demolition as part of this report will be replaced in Phase 3 of the revitalization.

This report also recommends approval of the Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 363 of the Toronto Municipal Code, subject to conditions.