A development has been proposed on Victoria Park Avenue south of Danforth, bringing residential, retail, and a Montessori school/daycare to Scarborough's Oakridge neighbourhood. Designed by Gabriel Fain Architects for Sigma Group, the proposal is within the Victoria Park Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) on Danforth Line 2. The Province encourages significant new density in the area around rapid transit stations. UrbanToronto covered another Victoria Park Avenue proposal yesterday at 1400-1410 Victoria Park Avenue, closer to the Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT – today’s proposal is about 4 kilometres to the south.

Looking southeast to 507-513 Victoria Park Avenue, designed by Gabriel Fain Architects for Sigma Group

The development site spans 507, 511, and 513 Victoria Park Avenue and 4, 6, 7, 11, plus 14 Thora Avenue, covering 3,313m² to the east of Victoria Park Avenue and south of Danforth Avenue. Currently occupied by low-rise residential and commercial buildings with surface parking, the site sits within a transitioning corridor where low-rise homes and commercial plazas mix with mid- and high-rise developments. To the south, the site borders the Canadian National Railway Kingston Subdivision tracks.

An aerial view of the current site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

The proposal includes a land swap agreement between the developer and the City of Toronto, facilitating the creation of a new public park: a City-owned property at 6 Thora Avenue would be exchanged for privately owned land at 11 Thora Avenue, allowing for a 1,433m² park at 7 and 11 Thora Avenue.

An axonometric view looking northeast to 507-513 Victoria Park Avenue, designed by Gabriel Fain Architects for Sigma Group

Batory Planning + Management has submitted Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to the City of Toronto on behalf of the developer. The proposal features two residential towers, rising 16 storeys/58m and 39 storeys/127.5m atop a shared L-shaped podium. Together, the towers would introduce 578 rental units. The design’s total Gross Floor Area spans 44,238m², with 43,675m² allocated to residential space, 413m² for retail, and 145m² for a Montessori school/daycare at the east end of the site. The Floor Space Index (FSI) totals 13.35 times coverage across the site (not including the new park site on the east side of Thorah).

Site plan, designed by Gabriel Fain Architects for Sigma Group

Plans include 1,110m² of indoor and 1,234m² of outdoor amenities, located on the second and ninth floors. The development would include seven elevators, with five in the 39-storey tower and two in the 16-storey tower, resulting in a ratio of one elevator for every 83 units, indicating efficient service for residents.

Ground floor plan, designed by Gabriel Fain Architects for Sigma Group

Below grade, two levels of underground garage would provide 87 parking spaces for residents, 30 for visitors, and 2 for retail use. For cyclists, plans include 636 long-term and 116 short-term spots. 

Looking east to the 16-storey tower fronting Victoria Park Avenue, designed by Gabriel Fain Architects for Sigma Group

Victoria Park station is about 500m north, or roughly a six-minute walk, while Danforth GO station is about 1km to the west, providing regional transit connections. A TTC bus route plies Victoria Park Avenue beside the site. The area is also served by the Danforth Cycle Tracks, although those may be destroyed by the provincial government.

Looking east from Victoria Park Avenue to the current site, image retrieved from Google Maps

The proposal joins a growing cluster of developments reshaping the Victoria Park corridor. Birchley Park is under construction to the south, introducing eight buildings up to 12 storeys. Further southeast, 150 Clonmore Avenue and 2540 Gerrard Street East are proposed at 12 and 29 storeys, respectively. East of the site, plans include a mid-rise at 3089 Danforth Avenue. Close to Victoria Park subway station, a proposal at 777 Victoria Park Avenue would bring 12- and 35-storey towers.

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.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been republished with a correction to the number of elevators.

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