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151 Towers at Midland and Lawrence in Scarborough Grow Taller in Resubmission
In Scarborough’s Midland Park area, a substantially revised redevelopment plan submitted to the City of Toronto for Midland Lawrence Plaza, now outlines taller towers and other changes for the site. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects for First Capital, the resubmission for 2650 Lawrence Avenue East also reshapes the plans with expanded retail space, but no longer includes onsite parkland. The eastern portion of the plaza, where there is a Chalo Freshco supermarket, is not touched by this proposal.
Midland Park is a largely residential area with mid and high-rise buildings along the main streets, and houses and townhomes on neighbourhood roads, while arterial commercial and community uses line both main streets. While the plaza covers the full length of the north side of Lawrence between Midland Avenue and Brockley Drive, the application covers a 7,900m² western portion of the plaza only, while maintaining a strip of parking along the north edge of the site that will serve the new retail and continue to connect the grocery store with Midland Avenue.
In November 2022, an application proposed 25- and 35-storey buildings plus an onsite public park on approximately the same area of the site. Through subsequent discussions with City staff, updated floodplain information, and broader block-planning work for the plaza lands, the proposal was redesigned and appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal in August, 2025. Bousfields has now submitted an Official Plan Amendment and resubmitted a Zoning By-law Amendment application to the City of Toronto on behalf of the developer.
In the revised plan, the north tower is moved to the northwest corner of the site, now climbing 33 storeys (112.9m), compared to 25 storeys and 89.6m. The south tower is shifted to the southeast corner at 43 storeys (148.2m), up from 35 storeys and 120.4m. Podium configurations have been reworked: a 6- to 8-storey base would face Lawrence Avenue below the south tower, and a 4- to 6-storey base would support the north tower. A larger retail program of 1,940m² would now front both streets, replacing the original 769m² allocation.
Residential units increase from 773 to 1,001, with 493 one-bedroom, 407 two-bedroom, and 101 three-bedroom suites planned. Gross Floor Area increases from 57,019m² to 68,096m², with residential space at 66,155m² and retail at 1,940m². This produces a Floor Space Index of 8.62 times coverage of the block, up from 5.99.
The proposal now includes 1,663m² of indoor space and 2,383m² of outdoor space, an increase from the previous total of 3,115m². The north tower would be served by four elevators, or one per roughly 102 units, while the south tower would have five, equating to one per approximately 119 units. High-speed motors would be required for adequate service, particularly in the south tower. The onsite public park, once planned at 951m², has been removed, with the submission now proposing cash-in-lieu. A landscaped courtyard is planned facing Midland Avenue between the two buildings.
Below grade, a three-level garage would support 506 parking spaces, up from 350. The new breakdown includes 454 resident spaces and 52 visitor spaces, while retail parking remains unassigned at ground level. Bicycle parking increases to 754 spaces (682 long-term and 72 short-term spots) compared to 604 total in the original plan.
Multiple TTC routes link the area to Kennedy station and other points across Scarborough. The former Scarborough RT, which once operated west of the plaza, was decommissioned in 2023 and replaced by enhanced express bus service. Longer-term improvements will replace the shuttered RT corridor with a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit line targeted for 2027, while the Scarborough Subway Extension will add a new Lawrence & McCowan station roughly 1.5km to the east.
The proposal lands within a corridor seeing gradual intensification. Just south along Lawrence, applications are in for 11 storeys at 2683 Lawrence East and for a pair of 20- and 32-storey towers at 2655 Lawrence East. Farther southeast, 799 Brimley sets out a 24-storey mixed-use building, while to the southwest, 1380 Midland Avenue proposes seven buildings ranging from eight to 27 storeys.
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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