The month of June 2023 brought news on proposals reaching new heights, as we dealt with smokey air and heat waves down below. As the need for housing escalates and designated Major Transit Station Areas pave the way for greater density, developers are looking to the skies. Meanwhile, we are seeing larger proposals outside of the Toronto core as developers head not only upwards, but outwards. Here is the latest roundup of the hottest news stories, Database files, and Forum threads on UrbanToronto from the month of June.
Our Top 10 Most Read News Stories:
Our Most Read News Stories list begins with a tool we are likely to hear more and more about: the Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO). These orders are unappealable and work by rezoning a piece of land without the application having to go through the standard planning review. In this case, Condor Properties Ltd has submitted the MZO request to the Government of Ontario to redevelop 545 Steeles Avenue West in Brampton.
14. Brampton Proposal Part of Rise in Minister’s Zoning Order Requests
Moving on to June’s Top 10 News Stories, The One takes the top spot, in more ways than one. The proposal is now heading for a staggering 91 storeys, after the City opposed an even higher total of 94. At the same time, Kitchener is seeing its own vertical growth with several towers featured in a single article, including the 51- and 57-storeys proposed at 50 Borden Avenue South. Two towers proposed at 8350 Kennedy Road in Markham would pop up by Unionville GO Station, which is set to become the Unionville Multi-Modal Station providing a mix of transit options. The Top 10 list starts off with a meta touch, as the tenth spot is the roundup of May’s news stories:
10. New Proposals Take Top Billing in May on UrbanToronto’s Front Page
9. Love Park Grand Opening Celebrated on Toronto’s Waterfront
8. Forma: Landmark Development 11 Years (So Far!) in the Making
7. Shortlist Announced for Transformation of Historic Toronto Coach Terminal
6. Frank Gehry and Development Team Celebrate the Ground Breaking of Future Landmark, Forma
5. City, Developer Settle on Single Tower to Replace Downtown Novotel
4. Two Towers to Replace Car Dealership near Kennedy and Hwy 7
3. The Towers are Coming: Kitchener Goes Tall
1. The One is Heading For 91 Storeys… and That’s Final!
Our Top 10 Most Searched Database Files:
We come back down to the ground for Love Park, just outside the Top 10 in the database rankings. The park celebrated its grand opening on June 23, 2023, offering a heart-shaped pond for pedestrians in Toronto’s downtown core.
12. Love Park
The One takes top spot again with the Top 10 Most Searched Database Files. The Pinnacle One Yonge is not far behind in the third spot. Along with reaching for the blue sky, a number of featured projects find themselves close to the (sometimes) blue waters of Lake Ontario, including Lakeside Residences and Sugar Wharf Condominiums (Phase 2).
7. CIBC SQUARE
6. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment
5. Sugar Wharf Condominiums (Phase 2)
4. The Well
2. Forma
1. The One
Our Top 10 Busiest Threads:
Taking a look at our Busiest Threads for June 2023, the biggest thread for a project in the 905 area is Mississauga’s Exchange District Condos. The proposal calls for four towers up to 72 storeys in height, next to both the Square One Shopping Centre and the new Hurontario LRT.
In our Top 10 Busiest Forum Threads, The Ones reign supreme for UT readers. Although The One won handedly when adding up all the pages, it was actually Pinnacle One Yonge had the most single page views. At ground level, discussions included the aesthetic addition of Love Park and the ever-closer to completion Crosstown LRT.
8. Ontario Line
6. The Well
5. Love Park
4. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment
3. CIBC SQUARE
1. The One
We will be back at the beginning of August for a recap of July’s top news stories, Database files, and Forum threads!