U of T Proposal for Spadina-Sussex Residence
The University of Toronto intends to build a student residence on the property it owns at the northwest corner of Sussex and Spadina. Consultation with the community is required by the planning process. The project is not supported by the community in its current form.
Consultation: Several public meetings have been held, starting in 2014, and more are expected. An HVRA report from a meeting on 13 January 2016 summarizes the key concerns expressed by residents in attendance, They included encroachment by U of T into a residential neighbourhood rather than using property it owns on the other side of Spadina, disappearance of the Ten Editions bookstore, potential problems from student behaviour in the neighbourhood, and the impact on Sussex of having the entrance on that street rather than on Spadina. HVRA has made clear that the following provisions are essential:
A shared-use City-University agreement on the south end of the Robert Street field
Reduction in height-massing of the main building on Spadina
Satisfactory interim accommodation and right of return for the residents of the existing buildings
Application: In the summer of 2016, the University of Toronto submitted its official application to re-zone the lands for building the student residence. A 23-storey 549-bed University of Toronto/Daniels Corporation residence with some retail/office/commercial has been proposed. Reviews by the HVRA, the Councillor, and the City’s Planning and many other Departments are part of a lengthy process. Because it is a re-zoning, this application does not go to Committee of Adjustment, but comes before Community Council and City Council for decision. There are no timelines suggested. The plans and their extensive supporting documentation are available on the city website.
Planning Report: A preliminary report from the City Planning Department went to Toronto East York Community Council as background material for its meeting of Oct. 13, 2016. The report outlines the proposal to rezone the property and notes outstanding concerns, as does a letter from HVRA and another from the Grange Residents’ Association. Council authorized City Planning to proceed with examination of the application and to convene another public meeting in early 2017.
The report describes many of the issues already raised by HVRA and local residents, including lack of green space and the potential community strains of inserting a 549-bed residence next to a residential area. It lists studies that must be completed before the proposal can be approved, and mentions the need for further community consultation. A final Planning report is expected in the third quarter of 2017. Meanwhile, comments are welcome to development@harbordvillage.com.
Above summary courtesy of the HVRA.