As Toronto landowners and developers look to make better use of limited space, infill projects help better utilize land on existing properties particularly in the case of Tower-in-the-Park style developments that were the planning norm of the 1960s and 70s. Starlight Investments have resubmitted a Zoning By-law Application that would do such that by adding a building to its expansive property at 301 Dixon Road in Etobicoke, located on the south side of the arterial road about halfway between Kipling Avenue and Islington Avenue. The original submission is just over a year old now, with a recent revision making minor adjustments to the design.
The site has an unusual shape and is currently home to a Y-shaped, 16-storey rental apartment building, surface parking, and extensive lawns and gardens. It is surrounded by other Tower-in-the-Park style developments at 11 Wincott Drive and 315 Dixon Road to its right and left respectively, along with 330 Dixon Road situated across the street. The former two are set back from the street like the subject site, whereas the latter is situated closer to the road.
301 Dixon’s larger frontage on Dixon Road, however, and further setback make it an ideal candidate as an infill development spot in the area. WZMH Architects have designed an 8-storey mid-rise residential building standing 31.9m. The proposal calls for 145 units, and with two elevators included in the design, that would mean an elevator for every 72.5 units, a very healthy ratio. To the south, the existing building and its units would be maintained, including its amenities and parking.
As part of planning, IBI Group received feedback from the City and a variety of agencies regarding the original submission. Based on these notes, revisions were made to animate and enhance the side facing Dixon Road, as well as to add trees and greenery to the outdoor space. The four-storey street wall along Dixon Road has been simplified, with minor design changes made to the four-storey element above as well.
At the southwest corner of Wincott Drive and Dixon Road, the new development would include 10,291m² of residential gross floor area, with indoor and outdoor amenities equally allotted 292m² of space at-grade. The building would be rectangular in shape and have setbacks of about 6.9m from Dixon Road and 3.0m from Wincott Drive. There would be an average separation distance of over 21.7m between it and the existing apartment — with the older building’s Y-shape, the distance is constantly changing.
Drivers would access the site from an entryway on Dixon Road leading to a looped drop-off area behind the building. The design places the entrance to the parking garage at the west side, with two levels of underground parking. With 72 parking spaces proposed and 293 spaces included for the existing site, this would result in a total of 365 parking spots. There would also be 109 spaces for bicycles, 11 of which would be for visitors.
The site is serviced by TTC buses along Dixon Road, and is within 2km south of the Etobicoke North GO station. There is also the Weston GO station about 4km east of the site, which connects to the Union Pearson Express. Upon completion of its westerly extension, the Eglinton Line 5 LRT will have two stations, Kipling and Islington, within 2km south of the site.
Located in The Westway area, the proposed infill development would be part of a neighbourhood poised for growth with the improved transit services for this part of Toronto, and more room for other infill buildings on adjacent sites. The submission notes that the design promotes efficient land use in response to the dynamic market and an ever-growing city.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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