Residents and businesses in Toronto’s Church Street Village area are claiming they are “under attack” by a proposed development and are fighting to “defend the character” of the neighbourhood.
A petition started in February by the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association (CWNA) seeks to halt plans to redevelop a group of properties wrapping around the northeast corner of Church and Wellesley, spanning 68-78 Wellesley Street East and 505-509 Church Street.
The block of properties is home to a Pizza Pizza location that has served the community for decades, housed with the heritage-designated 1878 William McBean Terrace building.
Developer KingSett Capital has stated its intention to incorporate into a new high-rise building on site, rising 28 storeys with a design from architects BDP Quadrangle.
68 Wellesley Street East (right of centre) and other future approved and proposed buildings planned for the surrounding area. BDP Quadrangle.
A development application filed for the site in early 2024 was ultimately struck down by city planners in a refusal report issued just weeks after it was tabled.
The application has since been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), where the CWNA hopes to tip the scales towards the tribunal opposing plans.
The community organization argues that “If this proposal is approved, it will have a domino effect.”
“More, taller buildings are sure to follow, setting a legal precedent that will allow the development of large-scale projects along the Church Street Village strip, obliterating the character of the Village and Toronto’s historic 2SLGBTQ+ community.”
The group is trying to drum up funding and community support to prevent the proposal from coming to fruition, stating that they “urgently need your help to defend the character of the Village.”
GoFundMe
The petition states that community members have told the CWNA that they need to “defend [the] neighbourhood against irresponsible development,” and the group argues that “the city’s plan for the Village strip…emphasizes sensitive low-scale infill that respects the existing character, including the fine-grain retail and low-rise scale.”
“KingSett Capital, the owner of 68 Wellesley St. E, is at the Ontario Land Tribunal to appeal the City of Toronto’s refusal of its application to build a 28-story [sic] tower at the corner of Church and Wellesley,” reads the petition.
Though this could be interpreted as the City being opposed outright to a development at this site, this is not exactly the case.
The refusal raises concerns about heritage integration, the height of the building, and stepbacks from the street, but it does not argue against the principle of the planned redevelopment of this site with a much larger building.
Refusal reports are more common than one might think in the municipal planning process across Ontario. In fact, many projects are often tabled with the understanding from the outset that they will likely have to proceed through the provincial appeals process, where developers have a better shot at negotiating density based on nearby precedents.
The CWNA has been granted party status by the OLT for the upcoming case, but the organization will need to raise $50,000 by June 30 to underwrite the professional fees for participating in the hearing.
As of writing and one full month into the fundraising campaign, the organization has raised just over $8,000 towards the required $50,000.
