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This past month, Summer officially turned to Fall while Toronto's development scene continued to reflect a city always building and growing, from the unveiling of plans for a temporary stadium in Downsview, to the grand opening of a new park in the Port Lands. The month also saw a derided proposal for a Highway 401 tunnel, generating discussions on transportation planning, while, transit milestones include the completion of all stops and stations on a new LRT line without announcing the opening date. While plenty of construction updates grabbed attention, Mattamy and QuadReal made it into the list by bucking recent condo sales trends with a major launch in Etobicoke.
Let's take a closer look at our top stories, database files, and threads for September, 2024.
Our Top Ten Most Read News Stories
Stepping into the spotlight at #13 is Live Nation Canada's announcement of Rogers Stadium, to be built at the site of the former Downsview Airport. Intended to help with scheduling pressures faced by other venues, in particular Rogers Centre and the Blue Jays' busy schedule, the venue's open-air design can house up to 50,000 attendees. The solution is a temporary one, however, as the id8 Downsview Framework Plan for the area envisions a master-planned community spanning 520 acres.
This month's top news stories cover developments across the GTA. In Downtown Toronto, the latest construction update on 89 Avenue Yorkville comes in at #8. The project, designed by Richard Wengle Architect for Armour Heights Developments, will rise above its neighbours at 20 storeys, tall for tis block. In Liberty Village, the news of planning approval made public for 80 Lynn Williams Street is at #4, with the 44-storey mixed-use rental building from Collecdev-Markee Developments and Shiplake Management Company to incorporate heritage elements of the Liberty Storage Warehouse. Outside of Toronto, 425 Bayly Street West proposes six towers with staggering heights of 50 to 60 storeys to the south of the Ajax GO station, placing it at #3 on the list. Transit remains a much-discussed and read issue, with Ontario's announcement of all Finch LRT stops and stations being completed coming in at #1.
10. Quartet of 35-Storey Towers Proposed Southeast of Martin Grove & Hwy 7 in Vaughan
9. Resubmission Near Summerhill Station Increases Proposal to 35 Storeys
8. 89 Avenue Road About to Rise High in Yorkville
7. Catching Up With Construction of CIBC SQUARE's North Tower
6. QuadReal, Mattamy Launch The Clove as First Phase of Cloverdale Mall Redevelopment
5. Minor Variance for Sugar Wharf Phase 2 Comes With Major Changes
4. Liberty Village Rental Tower Approved for 44 Storeys at Heritage Warehouse
3. Six Towers Ranging from 50 to 60 Storeys Proposed Near Ajax GO
2. Rail Deck Development Resubmission Adds Another 1,800 Units
1. Ontario Announces Completion of Finch LRT Stops and Stations as Toronto Awaits Line's Opening
Our Top Ten Most Searched Database Files
Coming in at #12 is Leslie Lookout Park. Just as Rogers Stadium points to the future, this new public space celebrates a fresh beginning in the present. Situated in Toronto's revitalizing Port Lands, this newly-opened park offers a serene setting amongst industrial facilities. It features extensive walking trails, a splash pad, and panoramic views down the Ship Channel to the Downtown skyline from its 13.5m-tall lookout tower. The park honours the area's Indigenous significance, including Indigenous principles for the tower's design.
New to the top list of most searched database files this month is Pinnacle Lakeside coming in at #10. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects originally for Greenland Group, Pinnacle International has taken over the development of three towers spanning 14 to 49 storeys, with recent activity on the Forum capturing the last sub-grade work. The rest of the list is comprised of projects throughout Downtown Toronto that have continued to dominate the top 10. UrbanToronto recently caught up on the construction of CIBC SQUARE's North Tower, which is at #8. KING Toronto comes in at #4 with the installation of its unique glass block cladding finally underway. The One regains the top spot, its second mechanical section recently having been completed.
9. 8 Wellesley | Residences at Yonge
8. CIBC SQUARE
6. Forma
5. Concord Sky
4. KING Toronto
3. The Well
1. The One
Our Top Ten Busiest Threads
At #11 is a surprise from Premier Doug Ford, who announced a study to explore tunnelling under Highway 401 from Brampton and Mississauga to Markham and Scarborough to build new express lanes and a transit route. The announcement has been met with significant skepticism; critics and opposition leaders argue that the plan leans heavily towards car dependency at a time when urban planning is increasingly focusing on sustainable and multimodal transit solutions. Seemingly ruinously expensive, the proposal has sparked lively discussion on UrbanToronto’s forum, with the vast majority of Forum members expressing doubts about the project's feasibility.
11. Highway 401 Transit and Auto Tunnel
Transportation continues to be a prevalent theme across the busiest threads. Finch West Line 6 LRT comes in at #8 off the heels of the recent announcement that all stops and stations are complete, though an opening date is yet to be announced. The Union Station revitalization is at #7, with Ontario Line 3 at #4. The city's other much-anticipated LRT line came close to the #1 spot, with the Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT coming in at #2. Major developments on the list include CIBC SQUARE at #6, Pinnacle One Yonge at #3, and of course, The One at #1.
10. Forma
9. KING Toronto
7. Union Station Revitalization
6. CIBC SQUARE
5. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment
2. Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT
1. The One
We will be back at the beginning of November for a recap of October's top news stories, Database files, and Forum threads!
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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.
