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476 Cosburn Transit-Oriented Community Scaled Back to Mid-Rises
Infrastructure Ontario has presented a revised concept for the Cosburn Transit-Oriented Community (TOC), introducing a markedly scaled-down design for the mixed-use project at Pape and Cosburn avenues in East York’s Pape Village area. Unveiled during a recent virtual open house, the updated plan by SvN replaces the previously proposed 28- and 29-storey towers with mid-rise buildings of 12 and 13 storeys. The development is part of the Province’s Transit-Oriented Communities program, which aims to bring housing and retail directly to the city’s major transit lines, in this case Cosburn station on the future Ontario Line 3.
The Cosburn Transit-Oriented Community would occupy both sides of Pape Avenue immediately north and south of Cosburn Avenue, replacing the existing low-rise strip of commercial mixed-use buildings that define this stretch of Pape Village.
The north parcel, spanning from 1030 to 1052 Pape Avenue, and the south parcel, from 1002 to 1028 Pape Avenue, are currently occupied by two- and three-storey structures housing restaurants, shops, services, and apartments above.
The Cosburn TOC was first introduced in Fall 2024, with a combined 623 rental units and over 2,200m² of retail space. While the proposal advanced the Province’s goals for intensification around major transit stations, City staff and community members raised concerns about the height, massing, and limited public space, prompting a redesign.
The revised concept replaces the tower forms with two mid-rise buildings. Together, the buildings would contain 409 residential units, 25% of them two- and three-bedroom layouts, and over 1,300m² of retail and commercial space at grade. A new 672m² public park has been introduced on the south parcel. Building massing now steps down between three and five storeys along the street frontage.
On the North Site, the revised plan envisions a 12-storey mixed-use building. It would include 203 residential units above a ground floor of 650m² of commercial space. The total Gross Floor Area (GFA) measures 15,718m², with 15,068m² dedicated to housing, representing a more compact scale than the earlier 28-storey, 95.9m tower. Floor Space Index (FSI) has been reduced from 6.1 to 4.3 times coverage of the 3,669m² site. The building would now include only five vehicle spaces, compared to six previously, while 241 bicycle spaces are proposed, down from 356.
On the South Site at 1002–1028 Pape Avenue, the updated proposal introduces a 13-storey mixed-use building, replacing the previously planned 29-storey, 100.4m tower. The redesigned structure would accommodate 206 residential units above 667m² of ground-floor retail, contained within a total GFA of 16,949m² and an FSI of 6.6 times coverage of the 3,225m² site. Residential floor space now totals 16,283m², a notable reduction from the earlier 23,492m². Vehicle parking has been eliminated entirely, while 246 bicycle parking spaces are planned, down from 400 in the earlier version. A key new feature is a 672m² public park along the west edge of the site, replacing the earlier network of POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly-accessible Space) and retail plazas.
The Cosburn TOC is designed around direct integration with the future Ontario Line 3’s Cosburn, giving residents immediate subway access one stop north of the future interchange at Pape station on Bloor-Danforth Line 2. The development would connect to the station entrance, TTC bus routes along both Pape and Cosburn avenues, and the existing two-way bike lanes on Cosburn. Infrastructure Ontario’s revised plan incorporates improved pedestrian circulation, additional bicycle facilities, and a proposed pick-up and drop-off area to enhance mobility and safety. The idea of a secondary station entrance on the south block remains under review.
The Cosburn TOC will contribute to the intensification in Toronto’s East End. A few blocks to the west, proposals at 5 and 26 Cosburn Avenue call for 24- and 25-storey residential towers, while Broadview Avenue is seeing a steady rise in scale with mid-rise and high-rise activity, including 11 storeys at 1132 Broadview Avenue and 14- and 16-storey buildings at Maxium 1099 Broadview Avenue. South of the site, the Pape Station TOC North and South Sites are envisioned as buildings from 7 to 29 storeys, and nearby, 656 Danforth Avenue is proposed as a 49-storey mixed-use tower.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversations in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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