10K 
Since 2001, Cineplex Cinemas’ largest location has been a popular mainstay at The Queensway and Islington Avenue in Etobicoke. Now, while theatres have struggled to rebuild their audience post-pandemic, a colossal proposal at the location is poised to reshape this area of South Etobicoke. Designed by WZMH Architects for Talisker Corporation, this masterplanned community would introduce a mix of residential, commercial, institutional, and public spaces across a series of buildings ranging from 7 to 46 storeys.
Addressed to 1025 The Queensway, the site spans a significant 58,984m² lot at the northwest corner of Islington Avenue and the Gardiner Expressway. Currently, it houses the 20-screen Cineplex Queensway Cinemas & VIP along with its vast surface parking lot that accommodates 1,277 vehicles. The north end of the site, which was developed as stand-alone restaurants pads and a bank at the same time the cinemas went in, is already being redeveloped as Verge Condominiums by RioCan Living. Its two Turner Fleischer Architects-designed buildings — as high as 17 storeys — are topped off, while work continues on them,
The neighbourhood around this site is a dynamic mix of uses, evolving from predominantly commercial and industrial (especially between The Queensway and the Gardiner Expressway) to a new mix that is increasingly dominated by residential buildings and retail spaces. North of The Queensway's commercial strip is a low-rise residential neighbourhood.
The Zoning By-law amendment and Draft Plan of Subdivision applications envision a comprehensive overhaul of the cinema and parking lot site. The project would transform them into ten mixed-use residential towers and two commercial buildings, with heights spanning 35.45m to 149.6m. The podiums would range from one to eight storeys, with taller podiums and towers positioned along Islington Avenue and the Gardiner Expressway. All together, with the buildings arranged around a central public park, 4,222 residential units would be brought to the site.
Phase 1 focuses on establishing infrastructure including a new west-east public road, with initial mixed-use buildings in the northeast corner that include non-residential uses at grade. Two additional public roads would be built in later phases. Phase 2 would include the residential towers at the south end and commercial building at the northwest corner, culminating in Phase 3, which would introduce the main public park and the final mixed-use tower and commercial building. There would also be a mixed-use reserve at the north end of the site that the application notes could become a public park or POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly-accessible Space).
The extensive redevelopment is set to feature a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 346,247m². Residential spaces would dominate with a GFA of 291,074m², supplemented by 21,963m² designated for employment purposes and an additional 2,524m² for retail and daycare facilities. A significant commitment to public space is highlighted by the dedication of 4,287m² for a centrally located park, enhancing the green footprint of the neighbourhood.
The development would achieve a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 6.0. The plan includes substantial amenity offerings with 8,680m² of indoor and 9,048m² of outdoor amenities. Each of the residential towers would be serviced by four elevators, resulting in approximately one elevator for every 106 units, indicating just above average wait times, while the central and northern commercial buildings would have two and three elevators respectively. Below ground, two levels of underground parking would accommodate 1,936 residential and 310 non-residential or visitor parking spaces, complemented by bicycle parking facilities that include 2,930 long-term and 390 short-term spaces.
The site is situated near significant transportation arteries including the Gardiner Expressway directly south and Highway 427 approximately 2.8km to the west. TTC routes serving the site include the 37 Islington bus connecting to its respective station on Bloor Line 2, and the 80 Queensway bus connecting to Keele station. Kipling station, 2.3km to the northwest is a major transit hub with connections to GO Transit and MiWay, while Mimico GO is about 1.5km southeast.
With the hub of development activity surrounding the site, this proposal and others signal a broader revitalization trend along The Queensway. East of the site, BLVD Q and KüL Condos have proposed heights of 10 and 12 storeys, respectively. To the west, Joya Condos calls for a 12-storey building, 2 St Lawrence proposes three towers, with heights ranging from 8 to 20 storeys, while 40-60 St Lawrence plans for three towers between 26 to 43 storeys. Further west, 10 Zorra is set to introduce a 28-storey tower, and IQ Condos Phase 3 would feature three towers ranging from 18 to 42 storeys. Closer to Kipling Avenue, 1306 The Queensway is planning for three towers between 10 to 35 storeys and 1325 The Queensway would feature two high-rise towers at 35 and 46 storeys.
A rezoning of this size can take years, and as this site not is at within a Major Transit Station Area, it is not necessarily guaranteed that the City of Toronto will accept the scale of this proposal. In any case, while no podium in the redevelopment here has space large enough to host a replacement for the Queensway Cinemas, and not enough commercial parking space is planned for them either, there is no doubt that the cinemas will continue to operate for some time to come. UrbanToronto reached out to Cineplex Odeon for comment, but no response was received prior to publication.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, 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.
* * *
UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
| Related Companies: | Bousfields, STUDIO tla, WZMH Architects |
