Application to demolish Maclean House

Owner wants to tear down the heritage home near Casa Loma
Plan to replace 100-yr-old building with townhomes, apartments
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Feb. 9.)

Maclean House before the owner removed aspects of it in Dec 2009. Image courtesy of City of Toronto.

The owner of 7 Austin Ter. has applied to demolish the designated heritage property known as the Maclean House. The plan is to build a six unit rental housing building plus eight town homes on the site.
City planning and heritage staff has advised council to refuse the demolition permit.
Currently there’s a 10 unit, one and a half storey residential building on site.
Publisher John Bayne Maclean lived in the home from 1910 until his death in 1950. John M. Lyle, who also constructed the Royal Alexandra Theatre and Union Station, built the home.
City heritage staff wrote in its report to council that, “there is no justification for the demolition of the structure at 7 Austin Terrace.”
A separate report from planning staff on the same demolition issue from a different perspective: rental housing and residential development.
The current building contains 10 units: one owner unit plus nine rentals.
The application to demolish the entire building would mean a loss of nine rentals: two of which are considered affordable, three are mid-range and four are priced on the high end.

Advertisement

Donway post office redevelopment site

Cadillac Fairview purchased Don Mills and Lawrence site
No public plan revealed yet for redevelopment
Kris Scheuer
(Written Jan. 26 for Town Crier)

Cadillac Fairview has purchased this Donway W post office site, but has yet to announce plans for the land. Town Crier file photo.

Cadillac Fairview is expanding its real estate empire in Don Mills.
The developer recently acquired a soon-to-be shut Canada Post outlet on The Donway West. This is their newest acquisition at Lawrence and Don Mills, where the developer has built Shops on Don Mills. There is also a massive $225 million development of retail, office space and residential towers waiting in the wings.
Cadillac Fairview is leasing the property to Canada Post until the end of February when the post office at 169 The Donway West will close and move operations to Wynford Drive.

Redevelopment of Davisville PS possibility

Toronto school board to explore redevelopment of site
If it proceeds, could mean building new Davisville school
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Jan. 27)

Trustee Shelley Laskin. Image courtesy of TDSB.

School officials aren’t ruling out the possibility of building a brand new school for Davisville PS as discussions of land redevelopment start up this spring.
The Toronto District School Board is exploring the possibility of a redevelopment with a community committee that will meet this March through fall.
Last June, the school board approved recommendations for the area that focused on enhancing a family of local schools rather than closing them.
While some feared Davisville school would be closed, instead the school board will spend $240,000 to renovate the facility.
Apart from the review, area officials are also looking at possibly building on the site where Davisville PS nows sits on Millwood Road.
No matter where the talks go, the agreement to keep a Davisville school on site is firm.

Chris Sellors’ campaign office

Ward 22 candidate plans to open site Sept 1
Office located in land owned by developer with proposal before council
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Aug. 20)

Chris Sellors getting ready to open his campaign office at 1973 Yonge St on site that's part of a current redevelopment application. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Ward 22 council candidate Chris Sellors plans to open a campaign office Sept. 1 in space owned by a developer with an application currently making the rounds at city hall.
The office is located in an empty storefront at 1973 Yonge Street and is owned by Kilbarry Holdings Ltd, which has applied to build an eight-storey condo tower at Yonge Street and Belsize Drive.
The application’s in the final stages and could be approved at the last council meeting before Oct. 25 election. Should council fail to make a decision on the redevelopment next week, it would be up to the next elected council to rule on it.
Initially, Sellors told the Town Crier he wouldn’t move into the space unless the redevelopment was approved at the Aug. 25-26 council meeting. But two days later he had changed his mind citing lack of major residential opposition to the project.

TDSB to close 8 schools

Arlington MS among eight sites to shut
Board also approved improvements for local sites
Plus Davisville’s possible redevelopment discussed in Jan
By Kris Scheuer
(Written June 24 for Town Crier. Revised June 25.)

TDSB voted June 23 to close eight schools. File pic.

The TDSB voted last night to close eight schools, including Arlington MS.
McCowan Rd, Pringdale Gardens, Heron Park, Peter Secor, Silverthorn Jr., Brooks Rd and Kent Sr schools will also close starting in 2011, saving the board about $2 million a year in operating funds.
Plus, the board will save millions more in capital repairs and upgrades, trustee Josh Matlow said.

Talbot apartments headed to court

City and residents win at OMB, but developer appeals
Redevelopment of heritage apartments could end up in court
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier April 28.)

Leasiders are celebrating the Ontario Municipal Board’s rejection of a
developer’s plan to tear down the heritage Talbot apartment complex on
Bayview.
However, their victory cries are muted because the site’s owner is seeking
leave to appeal the board’s decision to the Ontario Divisional Court.
Local councillor John Parker is pleased with the board’s rejection of a
redevelopment plan to demolish the apartments and construct an eight-storey
building and 54 townhouses.
“I was pleased with the Ontario Municipal Board result,” he said. “I saw it
as a long shot they’d see latitude for an appeal.”
Before the court rules on anything, a judge or a panel of judges must decide
if there are legal reasons for this appeal, and if so, determine if those
issues are significant enough to warrant an examination of the board ruling,
said Parker, a lawyer by trade.

Yonge Eglinton redevelopment site

Dozens of homes vacated to pave way redevelopment
Meanwhile a ghost town has emerged as old houses stay empty
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Feb 24 for Town Crier.)

Empty homes await demolition if redevelopment approved. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

Right in the heart of North Toronto on Duplex and Berwick Avenues sits a ghost town of sorts.
Almost two-dozen old houses sit vacant at 54 to 74 Berwick and 191 to 211 Duplex.
There is no mystery as to why these homes are empty. The entire site is part of a redevelopment application that would see the houses demolished if the project is approved. The proposal is for 20, 3-storey town houses fronting onto Duplex Avenue and a 17-storey condo tower with 215 units facing Berwick Avenue.
None the less, as this site is just one block south of Eglinton Avenue and a street west of Yonge Street it is an oddity to have so many houses standing empty.
It’s a mere two-minute walk from one of the city’s busiest intersections and across from the Minto towers, around the corner from high rise office buildings, the Eglinton subway, banks, shops restaurants and an indoor mall with a movie theatre.

North Toronto highrise revised

Erskine Ave proposal higher than previous  development application
Eight-storey building called unfit for area of single-family homes
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Dec. 18)

Paula Greco points out from her Erskine Avenue balcony several houses to be affected by the planned residential development. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

Paula Greco’s view from the balcony of her Erskine Avenue building could soon change from that of single-family homes to an eight-storey residential tower.
And she isn’t happy about it.
Greco overlooks a redevelopment site at 88 Erskine and 73-79 Keewatin avenues.
Verdiroc Development first applied to build a five-storey seniors’ residence and now has a new proposal for a 78-unit residential tower.
“It just doesn’t belong,” Greco said.

Davisville school redevelopment process promise

By Kris Scheuer
(See Jan. 13 UPDATE.)
I wrote a detailed story on the possible redevelopment and Accommodation Review Committee process at Davisville Public School Dec. 23.
I am working on an update that will be printed in the Town Crier newspaper on Tues. Jan 13 including some new interviews and re-interviews with key players TDSB’s Sheila Penny, trustee Josh Matlow and councillor Michael Walker.
So I have removed my original story until I write my update and it is edited.
Want the update? Click here for the story.