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Aspen Ridge Homes is transforming over 240,000m² of land just north of the Ontario Science Centre in Don Mills into what they call the Crosstown Community. Initially known as the Wynford Green Master Plan, the Crosstown Master Plan is overseeing the development of multi-unit residential and commercial buildings alongside park space, walkways, new streets, and a recreation centre. With zoning already in place, the developer has now submitted a Site Plan Approval application to the City of Toronto for Block 9 of the community, to be made up of two mid-rise buildings.
The site is found at 844 Don Mills Road, located to the northwest of the Eglinton Avenue East and Don Mills Road intersection. The lands were previously occupied by Celestica Inc., and the site was home to various commercial buildings and surface parking lots. Block 9 is a parcel of about 7,260m² in area found on the western end of the plan. Currently vacant land, the proposed residences on this block would stand alongside additional residential buildings in the west end of the community.
Core Architects have designed two similar but striking buildings for Block 9, both featuring nine storeys and standing 33.8m. There would be a combined total of 220 residential units, with 16,297m² in residential Gross Floor Area. The curved design is in contrast to the rectangular form of the proposed neighbouring towers, with a single-storey lobby connecting both buildings. Two entrances to the site would be found off Moriyama Drive (the western extension of Wynford Drive) and another one of the future streets.
Beyond residences, the plan includes 1,337m² of landscaped space and 2,475m² of paved surface area. The garage would hold 143 parking spaces for residents and 22 for visitors, along with 273 bicycle parking spots and two loading spaces.
A major component of the Crosstown Master Plan is the changing demands and expectations of commuters in the area, so while drivers have the benefit of the Don Valley Parkway to the east, a focus of the community is the coming Science Centre station on nearly completed Eglinton Line 5. The station will also be a terminal for buses running along Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue, and will eventually be the initial northeast terminal of Ontario Line 3, that will provide fast access to downtown. Along with the “Transit First” principle of the community, the new municipal streets will also entail paths for cyclists and pedestrians.
The Crosstown Master Plan is being developed over multiple phases on a block-by-block basis. Phase 1A has started with Block 1, a commercial office building over at the northwest corner of Eglinton Avenue and Don Mills Road, and four residential buildings known as One Crosstown Towers I, II, and II, and a mid-rise called 'The Crest'. Plans are also underway for townhomes on Block 8, and a market-rate rental building called 'Generations'. Block 9 is scheduled as part of Phase 1B, which would include most of the municipal streets and several residential blocks.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Master and Sub-Project Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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