Toronto garden centre around for 6 decades to be torn down for 2 condo towers

A Toronto garden centre that has been in operation for six decades may be the latest stalwart business lost to the local condo boom.

The Sheridan Nurseries location at 1774 Ellesmere Road could soon face demolition for a large-scale redevelopment that would see a pair of high-rise condo buildings grow from the site in Scarborough City Centre area, a pocket of the city primed to witness significant intensification in the coming years thanks to the under-construction Scarborough Subway Extension project.

The site in question has been home to a retail garden centre since the early 1960s and has operated under the Sheridan Nurseries brand since its acquisition of other garden centres in 2003.

Property owner Mark’s Choice Limited has filed plans with the City of Toronto to clear the existing garden centre and replace it with 42- and 34-storey towers featuring colourful designs by architects Giannone Petricone Associates.

The south tower would front Ellesmere Road, rising almost 117 metres, while the taller north tower would be positioned at the site’s interior, rising just over 141 metres.

The plan would introduce a staggering 880 condominium units to the area if approved as currently proposed. The majority of these suites are planned as one-bedrooms, with 500 of these investor-friendly units planned alongside 65 studios, 226 two-bedrooms and 89 three-bedroom units.

A mixed-use podium connecting the towers would include just shy of 394 square metres of commercial/retail space that would help animate this suburban artery with foot traffic.

Another aspect of the project laid out in planning documents is a potential partnership being explored between developer Mark’s Choice and charity organization United Way Greater Toronto, contemplating “a community-based program” on the site that would become a “new focal point for United Way services in the area.”

In addition to the site’s close proximity of 550 metres to the new Scarborough Centre station, the property is also situated near the western terminus of a proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) route that would extend into Durham Region.

While transit connectivity is a significant factor in the densities proposed, the project would still rely heavily on the road network, and is proposing 263 parking spaces for the complex. Residents and visitors would also have access to 661 bicycle parking spaces.