Item - 2026.TE34.17

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that: 

1. City Council adopt the West Chinatown Planning Framework, included as Attachment 7 to the report (June 18, 2026) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, and City Council direct the Executive Director, Development Review and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to use the West Chinatown Planning Framework as guidance in the evaluation of current and future development applications. 

2. City Council amend the Official Plan for the lands municipally known as 1-149 Baldwin Street, 1-99 Cameron Street, 60 and 81 Cecil Street, 261-279 College Street, 2-8 and 137-143 D’Arcy Street, 308-519 Dundas Street West, 73 and 77 Grange Avenue, 176 Huron Street, 126-256 McCaul Street, 2 Nassau Street, 3, 5 and 8 Oxford Street, 34 Ross Street, 160-474 Spadina Avenue, 76 and 78 Sullivan Street, 2, 6 and 8 St Andrew Street, 378 and 380 Queen Street West, and 1, 10 and 11 Willison Square substantially in accordance with the draft Official Plan Amendment included as Attachment 8 to the report (June 18, 2026) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District. 

3. City Council amend City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013 for the lands municipally known as 40, 42, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, 65, 67, 69, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119, 121, 123, 125, 127, 129 and 121 Baldwin Street and 112 Huron Street substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment included as Attachment 9 to the report (June 18, 2026) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District. 

4. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan Amendments and Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required. 

5. City Council request the Mayor, as part of the 2027 Budget process, to allocate funding to support the implementation of the Cultural District Program in West Chinatown.    

6. City Council request the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in collaboration with the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to explore community uses at 161 Baldwin Street.  

7. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to approve a Street Event application to facilitate the temporary  pedestrianization of Huron Street between Dundas Street West and the first east/west laneway north of Dundas Street West for any number of days between August 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026, inclusive, despite any section of Chapter 743 limiting Street Events to no more than four days, on such terms and conditions as deemed appropriate by the General Manager, Transportation Services, in consultation with the City Solicitor.  

8. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to include in any Street Event permit issued further to Recommendation 7 above, the following condition:   

a. that the applicant be solely responsible for and pay all costs associated with the pedestrianization, including but not limited to the costs or expenses of any costs incurred by the City, acting reasonably, that would not otherwise have been incurred but for the Street Event.   

9. City Council delegate authority to the General Manager, Transportation Services, notwithstanding any City of Toronto By-law to the contrary, for the term of any Street Event permit approved under Recommendation 7 above:  

a.  to regulate traffic and parking as may be required for the purposes of managing traffic movement or to address public safety or the safety of any property to support the Huron Street Pedestrianization; and further direct the City Solicitor, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services, to submit any necessary Bills to amend the City of Toronto Municipal Code traffic and parking Chapters, including their Schedules, directly to the first meeting of Council in 2027, or earlier, if practicable, with such amendments being effective retroactively to the date established by the General Manager, Transportation Services; and 

b. to temporarily close to vehicular and pedestrian traffic any highway or portion of a highway, for a period up to and including 90 consecutive days, as required for the purposes of managing traffic movement or to address public safety or the safety of any property during preparation for, and during, the Huron Street Pedestrianization and exempt the General Manager, Transportation Services, in carrying out this delegated authority, from the requirement in section 937-5 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 937, Temporary Closing of Highways, that being the requirement to notify the local Ward Councillor of the pending closure and the requirement to report on the proposed closure if so requested.  

10. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, to prohibit parking, stopping or standing, until the end of the day on October 31, 2026, on any highway where the General Manager, Transportation Services has erected temporary signage as required to accommodate the Huron Street Pedestrianization.  

11. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to submit directly to City Council at the appropriate time any necessary Bills to amend the appropriate City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapters to reinstate the traffic and parking regulations to what they were immediately prior to the By-law amendments made in Recommendations 9 and 10 above.  

12. City Council request the Executive Director, Development Review, in consultation with the local Councillors’ offices, to explore the feasibility of creating a West Chinatown Community Roundtable to discuss ongoing City-wide and local community projects and initiatives and provide a status update to the Toronto East York Community Council in first quarter of 2027. 

13. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to conduct a mobility and road safety plan for West Chinatown. 

The Toronto and East York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on July 8, 2026 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This report recommends that City Council adopt the West Chinatown Planning Framework and associated Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments to guide growth, development and community investment in the West Chinatown area. 

The West Chinatown Planning Framework is an outcome of the Chinatown Tomorrow Planning Initiative, an interdivisional project that began in 2019. The initiative was informed by extensive public consultation and input of staff across City divisions as well as key stakeholder organizations. The West Chinatown Planning Framework provides direction on enhancing the public realm, supporting small businesses, improving and expanding housing and livability, preserving cultural heritage, and guiding built form. Its objectives will be implemented through future capital investment and development within the area.

The report also recommends amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law. The Official Plan Amendment would redesignate the Spadina-Dundas intersection in the Downtown Plan from Mixed-Use Areas 3 - Main Street to Mixed Use Areas 2 - Intermediate and removes Site and Area Specific Policies that are no longer applicable to the area. The Mixed-Use Areas 2 designation more accurately reflects the higher densities anticipated at this key intersection, and through future development, supports the provision of community benefits, affordable housing and public realm improvements.

The Zoning By-law Amendment permits a range of small-scale retail, service and office uses on interior lots within residentially zoned properties along Baldwin Street. These changes would encourage small-scale retailers and entrepreneurs to locate within the neighbourhood while supporting the area's character.