Item - 2026.TE29.14

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to attend the Ontario Land Tribunal in opposition to the current application regarding the Official Plan Amendment appeal for the lands at 402 and 440 Unwin Avenue.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and City Staff to take any necessary steps to implement City Council's decision, including requesting any conditions of approval that would be in the City's interest, in the event the Ontario Land Tribunal allows the appeal, in whole or in part.

Toronto and East York Community Council requested the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District to submit the letter of February 13, 2026 from Hydro One Networks Inc. regarding 440 Unwin Avenue, City of Toronto, File No. Hearn OPA - 24 253487 STE 14 OZ, Studios of America Corporation, to the Clerk for Item TE29.14 - 402 and 440 Unwin Avenue - Official Plan Amendment - Appeal Report.

On December 24, 2024, Studios of America Corporation submitted an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) application to the City for the lands municipally known as 402 and 440 Unwin Avenue (the Hearn site) in the Port Lands. The OPA proposes to introduce residential uses, remove portions of the Natural Heritage and Open Space System (including City-owned lands), and reconfigure the area’s street and transit network. The associated development concept proposes 19 residential towers, with approximately 8,400 residential units and an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 jobs through the adaptive reuse of the Hearn. The number and location of residential towers is conceptual and would be determined in future planning applications.

The Port Lands are a significant long-term revitalization opportunity for the City, guided by a 50+ year vision set out in the Port Lands Planning Framework and implementing policies in the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan, approved by City Council in 2017 and by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) on July 11, 2022. Significant tri-government investment – $1.4 billion starting in 2017 and $975 million in 2025 – has been committed to implementation, with flood protection and enabling infrastructure to unlock development north of the Ship Channel, including in Ookwemin Minising.

The Hearn site includes a decommissioned coal-powered electrical generating station that is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act and is a landmark heritage property within the Port Lands. The site is located north of the Martin Goodman Trail and Lakefront natural areas, adjacent to the Hydro One Switching Station, and near other port and industrial uses, including the Portlands Energy Centre and Toronto Port Authority Marine Terminal.

The planning framework envisions the Hearn site as a major sport, cultural and entertainment destination, featuring parks and public open spaces. Residential uses are not permitted at the Hearn site due to its proximity to port, industrial and city-serving uses that support the city and regional economy, and many of which are major sources of emissions. The Hearn site is also isolated from the rest of the City, is not serviced with sanitary sewer or transit, and has inadequate water and road infrastructure. As such, residential uses are not permitted anywhere south of the Ship Channel – these lands are identified for port industrial, energy and city-serving uses, destination/catalytic uses, and parks and open space.

In early January 2026, the Province approved a new underwater electricity transmission line (the Third Line) that will connect to the Port Lands and will require a new converter station in the vicinity of the Hydro One Switching Station. Given that the location, route, and space for the Third Line are yet to be determined, there may be several potential impacts on the OPA application.

On November 6, 2025, Studios of America Corporation appealed the OPA application to the OLT due to Council not making a decision within the timeframe prescribed by the Planning Act. This report recommends that the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff attend the OLT to oppose the OPA application in its current form.