New condos approved for Yonge Street

[attach]2187[/attach]Two Yonge Street developments that would bring over 370 condo units to the area have received final approval from council.

Both proposals sailed through with relative ease at Toronto and East York Community Council Aug. 17.

The first project at 1955-1985 Yonge Street is for an eight-storey condo. The multi-block project would also stretch to Belsize Drive and Millwood Road.

Only a handful of residents spoke out against this project at community council, citing concerns about height and shadows.

The main issue of debate is that the entrance would be on Yonge Street as opposed to Belsize Drive.

A city planner commented the preference is normally an entrance on a side street but in this case it is an acceptable alternative.

“The access onto Yonge is important because there’s already a lot of traffic on Belsize,” Councillor Michael Walker said during the debate.

The condo building would contain 206 units.

“We will have intensification. The province wants it. Our Official Plan contemplates intensification. We want it on main streets and it’s a midrise development,” said Walker.

If the project proceeds, it will require tearing down the existing 1 to 3-storey retail and residential buildings on site.

The city is requiring the developer, Kilbarry Holdings to include 33 rental apartments as part of the condo project. The developer must maintain the rental units for a minimum of 20 years before applying to convert them to condo units. Plus, the developer will have to pay to relocate current tenants and allow them first dibs on moving into the new building.

The second project is across the street at 1994-2008 Yonge Street and 17 Glebe Road West.

Originally, the proposal was for 14-storeys but Templeton Holdings scaled it down to 10-storeys with 165 condo units.

Currently, there is a commercial parking lot on site plus several one- and two-storey buildings with retail shops and residential units that would be demolished.

The developer’s kicking in $500,000 for community benefits with some funds going towards the construction of the Neshama Accessible Playground in Oriole Park. Some of the money would help design and build a new park on the southwest part of Yonge and Eglinton.

About $200,000 of the same pot of money would be dedicated to beautifying Glebe Road West.

Both project proposals got the greenlight at August’s city council meeting.