News Release
November 30, 2021

The City of Toronto’s Parkdale Hub project, a transformational city-building initiative at the intersection of Queen Street West and Cowan Avenue, is ready to progress to phase three.

The Parkdale Hub site is currently home to City-owned facilities and community services, including the Parkdale Library at 1303 Queen St. W., the Masaryk-Cowan Community Recreation Centre at 220 Cowan Ave., the Parkdale Arts & Culture Centre operated by Toronto Artscape Inc. at 1313 Queen St. W. and a municipal parking lot at 1325 Queen St. W.

The City’s investment in the Parkdale Hub project will deliver wide-ranging social, cultural and economic benefits to the Parkdale community, including:

  • The creation of new non-profit affordable rental housing
  • The revitalization and expansion of the Masaryk-Cowan Community Recreation Centre, to better deliver recreational programming to the community through a more efficient design and the addition of space
  • The reconstruction and expansion of the Parkdale Library Branch to provide increased visibility and accessibility to the third busiest library branch in the city
  • The ongoing delivery of Toronto Artscape’s cultural hub program, which provides affordable live-work housing for local artists as well as an art gallery and community office space
  • The creation of new inclusive and accessible community space and design elements that will strategically connect programs, services and people
  • Significant enhancements to the public realm in the heart of the Parkdale neighbourhood, as well as the adaptive re-use of heritage buildings and improved connectivity with the adjacent residential neighbourhood

On November 22, CreateTO’s board approved a report providing an update on the project’s phase two Feasibility Study, which included collaborating with City staff on advancing architectural design work, a construction phasing strategy, environmental due diligence, negotiations for a strategic property acquisition, a preliminary civil engineering assessment, high-level costing analysis, and ongoing community and stakeholder engagement. Based on the outcomes of the phase two Feasibility Study, City staff recommend a series of actions to advance the project to phase three in a report to Executive Committee on December 7.

As part of phase three, staff request the authority to initiate stage one of expropriation proceedings to acquire 1337 Queen St. W., a property adjacent to City-owned lands on the Parkdale Hub site. The acquisition of this property is key to the project, and will enable the creation of new affordable homes and community program space to benefit the local community, including:

  • Opportunity to construct up to 109 homes on this site (including at least 50 per cent affordable homes, which could be delivered through the Housing Now Initiative)
  • Opportunity to construct up to 800 square metres (8,500 square feet) of community space
  • Creating vehicle access to the Parkdale Hub site from Dunn Avenue, which would provide access to the community recreation centre and library for loading and site servicing
  • Opportunity to strategically phase construction work at the Parkdale Hub site to minimize disruption of essential programs and services

The staff report to Executive Committee will be considered on December 7 and, if adopted, will be considered by City Council at the December 15 and 16 Council meeting.

For more information on the Parkdale Hub project, visit ParkdaleHub.ca.

Quotes:

“The Parkdale Hub project is an excellent City of Toronto partnership that will benefit the community. The Hub will create more housing, 50 per cent of which is affordable housing, and community spaces, and will provide residents the programs and supports they need, want and deserve.”
– Mayor John Tory

“The Parkdale Hub project is a unique City-building initiative whose scale and diversity of benefits to the community provide a real opportunity to improve the lives of Parkdale residents through improved programming, the creation of new affordable housing and stronger community supports for some of our most vulnerable residents.”
– Councillor Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park)

“This project is a great example of the work CreateTO was formed to do. Together with our partners in City divisions and agencies, CreateTO has been working diligently to ensure the Parkdale Hub better serves the local community by providing more space for current and future uses on site, including new community space, and affordable homes. This city-building project is going to enable the Parkdale community to continue to thrive.”
– Vic Gupta, CEO of CreateTO

CreateTO was formed in 2018 as the City of Toronto’s new real estate agency. The organization brings together stakeholders, partners and community members to ensure the best use of the City’s real estate assets for today and tomorrow. CreateTO manages the City’s $27 billion real estate portfolio, develops City buildings and lands for municipal purposes and delivers client focused real estate solutions – ensuring a balance of both community and economic benefits. For more information, visit CreateTO.ca.

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Media Relations
City of Toronto
Susan O'Neill
CreateTO