Yonge and Steeles Racks Up Another 50-Storey Side Street Proposal

UrbanToronto.ca
July 18, 2023

Yonge Street is witnessing a wave of redevelopment proposals near the future Steeles subway station, promising significant vertical growth and increased density in the Newtonbrook neighbourhood in Toronto's north end. Southeast of the Yonge and Steeles intersection, another such development is the proposed 50-storey mixed-use residential tower at 10 Abitibi Avenue.

Developer TRIAGE Development Corp has submitted Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment applications for the tower, set to replace five single-detached dwellings currently occupying the assembled site. The properties are located east of Yonge on the north side of Abitibi Avenue, comprising five parcels addressed to 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 Abitibi Avenue. The land is rectangular in shape and about 2,220m² in area, with about 60m fronting Abitibi Avenue.

The design by Hariri Pontarini Architects calls for a 5-storey podium housing retail and amenity spaces, with a 45-storey tower containing 534 residential units, at a total height of 171.2m. The proposed development would have a total gross floor area (GFA) of approximately 35,864m², with about 186m² of retail GFA. The building would be serviced by five elevators, resulting in a ratio of approximately one elevator for every 107 units, slightly above the threshold of 1 elevator per 100 units.

Residents would have access to 2,165m² of indoor amenity area spread across the first six floors, complemented by an additional 1,095m² of outdoor amenities. Below grade, three levels of underground garage would house 97 parking spaces, with 28 designated for visitors. In addition, the design includes 412 bicycle parking spots, with 48 for short-term use.

10 Abitibi, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for TRIAGE Development Corp
Aerial view looking northwest to 10 Abitibi, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for TRIAGE Development Corp

 As this neighbourhood grows in density and height, the proposal aims to strike a balance between Newtonbrook's present and future. The design incorporates hardscaped decorative paving and softscape planting beds to help complement the neighbourhood. According to conducted shadow studies, the development would have limited shadow impacts on the surrounding area, with no area remaining in shadow for longer than one hour.

While the site is located a bit under 2km north of the current northern terminus of the Line 1 Yonge subway at Finch station, the area around the Yonge and Steeles intersection is designated a Major Transit Station Area in anticipation of the future Steeles station, part of an 8km extension of Yonge Line 1 that will run north to Richmond Hill.

Other notable developments clustered near the future transit station include the 50-storey 6355 Yonge about 50m west and the 45-storey 18 Athabaska about 90m south. The largest of the proposals, however is the redevelopment of the Centerpoint Mall site just across Yonge Street to the west of Abitibi Avenue, where over 8,000 new housing units are planned in 33 new buildings. There are also several proposals in Vaughan and Markham to the north of Steeles, like at 7028 Yonge where three buildings are proposed from 50 to 65 storeys in height, around 250m northwest of this site. You can find pins and links for all of these various development proposals and more via the UrbanToronto map.