Church Wellesley Update
News from the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association
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The City of Toronto is consulting the public to help develop a new 10-year housing strategy. HousingTO: 2020-2030 Action Plan will address homelessness and housing affordability today and in the future. Join us for a presentation, panel discussion and community conversation. When: Wednesday, June 5, 2019 from 6:30PM-8:30PM Where: St Lawrence Hall, 157 King Street East (corner of Lower Jarvis St.)   Downtown has experienced huge growth over the past few years, making the sidewalks on Yonge Street busy -- and crowded. The City of Toronto is carrying out a study that focusses on the section of Yonge Street from Queen Street to College / Carlton Street. A number of opportunities will be considered to increase pedestrian space and improve the way people experience Yonge Street. A public information session about the project was held on May 9, but in case you missed it, check out the online version of the display boards, which map out the process and illustrate various redesign options. One key decision: how much of the street to dedicate to vehicles, pedestrians and bikes. You can also take an online survey to register your priorities for a revitalized Yonge Street.  The "tower in the park" style of building, pioneered by Le Corbusier, was popular in Toronto in the sixties and seventies. These residential towers were distinguished by the generous amount of open space around them, leaving room on the property for trees, gardens, water features and other landscaping. Now that land values have skyrocketed, owners of some of these properties are looking to monetize their open spaces with infill projects.
One example is Isabella Court, the 27 storey, 400 unit rental building at 33 Isabella. Cromwell Property Management is proposing a 4 storey building on the west side of the property, with 15 apartments and ground floor administrative offices. A community consultation, held on May 8, provided an update on the original proposal. City staff had noted that, over time, some amenity spaces at 33 Isabella had been replaced by rented office space. As well, the infill building removes the existing outdoor tennis court. Some key points:
Negotiations between the City and the owner will continue before the City provides final approval of the project. Related: City Staff preliminary report (Dec., 2018) Toronto Development Application  Strolling down Church Street south of Wellesley these days, it’s hard not to notice the number of darkened storefronts and “For Lease” signs. While you might conclude this is a sign of decline in the Village, quite the opposite is true: because of intensification, land values are increasing, leading to a period of investment. As some businesses close down, others eventually come to take their place. Still, some of these storefronts have been closed for a while.
Every vacant shop has a story. Let’s look at some of them:
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