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2.9K Seven-Tower Proposal Would Transform Sobeys Plaza in Humber Bay
A multi-tower, mixed-use proposal has been submitted for 125 The Queensway in Toronto’s Humber Bay area, where Fiera Real Estate is seeking to redevelop a commercial plaza site into a high-density residential community. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the plan calls for seven towers rising up to 50 storeys plus a park. The site lies just northeast of the future Park Lawn GO station, positioning the development within its Protected Major Transit Station Area.
Located on the south side of The Queensway between Park Lawn Road and the Humber River, the site spans 3.45 hectares, currently occupied by five single-storey commercial buildings and surface parking. To the north is a low-rise residential neighbourhood and the Humber Wastewater Treatment Plant, while the east abuts the Humber Loop transit stop. South of the site lies the Lakeshore West GO rail corridor, the Gardiner Expressway, and the high-rise cluster of Humber Bay Shores. To the west is the provinically protected Ontario Food Terminal site, while further west, commercial blocks front Park Lawn.
MHBC Planning has submitted an Official Plan Amendment application to the City of Toronto on behalf of the developer. The proposal outlines a multi-building, mixed-use community with seven towers planned, ranging in height from 12 to 50 storeys (48.7m to 164.55m), each rising from shared 7-storey podiums, except for one solo 47-storey tower. Parcel 1 would host towers of 12 and 50 storeys, Parcel 2 would feature two 45-storey towers and one at 47 storeys, and Parcel 3 would include towers of 42 and 50 storeys.
The proposed development would contain 3,968 residential units, including townhomes. The total Gross Floor Area measures 271,181m² producing a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 7.86 times coverage across the site. Of that, 266,647m² would be allocated to residential uses and 4,301m² to retail at grade. Currently the site hosts a flagship Sobeys grocery store, along with a Shoppers Drug Mart, an LCBO, a TD Bank, and several other retailers. The new plan only includes retail space for a grocery store in the base of the western-most building; all other ground floor spaces on the remaining blocks not related to lobbies and servicing are set aside for townhome units, without further retail space to replace the current stores.
Amenity spaces would be distributed throughout the podium and tower levels, with a total of 10,076m² of indoor space and 6,222m² of outdoor space proposed. These would be located across the 2nd and 7th floors. A 2,784m² public park is planned at the south end of the site, fronting the proposed internal street and integrating with an adjacent 255m² open space zone to support create a possible future connection with the Humber Bay Shores area to the south (see three paragraphs below).
A single level of underground parking would provide 531 vehicle spaces, with 282 for residents, 204 for visitors, and 45 for retail users. Bicycle parking is proposed at 3,010 spaces, including 2,712 long-term, 280 short-term, and 18 retail spaces. The entire site would include 24 residential elevators, translating to approximately one elevator per 165 units, for which unusually high-speed elevators would be required to provide adequate service.
The site benefits from existing TTC service along The Queensway and Stephen Drive, including the 66 Prince Edward and 80 Queensway bus routes. Just 240m east, Humber Loop offers access to the 501 Queen and 508 Lake Shore streetcars. Painted bike lanes run to the east along The Queensway, with cycling infrastructure planned to be extended westward in coming years. Access to the Martin Goodman Trail and Humber Bike Trail is close by to the east.
The City’s Park Lawn Lake Shore Transportation Master Plan includes a northern extension of Brookers Lane (“N/S Street” on the map above) that would extend south from the Fiera site through to realigned Gardiner Expressway/Lake Shore ramps, then southwards to Lake Shore in the Humber Bay Shores area. It would be connections via this road that would put the 125 The Queensway redevelopment site within a short distance of the new Park Lawn GO station; without that connection, the closet point of the redevelopment would be about a kilometre from the station via The Queensway and Park Lawn. As the crow flies, however, the future GO station would be approximately 322m southeast. A new streetcar turning loop and nearby bus bays to it is intended to create a regional transit station for the growing Humber Bay community.
The proposal joins other intensification in the area. To the north, 140 The Queensway is planned at 6 storeys, while larger developments are clustered to the south near Lake Shore Boulevard and the future GO station. These include the 56-storey Water’s Edge at the Cove, now completing construction, and proposals at 2157, 2173, and 2189 Lake Shore Boulevard West for 13, 49, and 51 storeys, respectively. The area’s largest proposal is 2150 Lake Shore, a multi-tower, multi-use community with buildings reaching up to 67 storeys. Phase 1, Station Square and Park Lawn Gardens, calls for seven towers ranging from 10 to 67 storeys and is tied to the delivery of the GO station.
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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