Item - 2021.PH25.2

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that: 

1. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-2013, as amended, for the lands shown as Block 1, Block 2 and Block 5 on the location map attached as Attachment 1 to the report (June 14, 2021) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, substantially in accordance with the recommended Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 5 to the report (June 14, 2021) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2. City Council amend the Etobicoke Zoning Code and Site-specific Zoning By-law 1088-2002, for lands shown as Block 1, Block 2 and Block 5 shown on Attachment 1 to the report (June 14, 2021) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, substantially in accordance with the recommended Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 6 to the report (June 14, 2021) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

3. City Council authorizes the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the recommended Zoning By-law Amendments as may be required.

4. Before introducing the necessary Bills contemplated in Recommendations 1, 2 and 3, above to City Council for enactment, City Council require the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, to submit an updated Functional Servicing Report and Hydrogeological Report to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services and the General Manager, Toronto Water.

5. City Council request the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to engage City partners and the development partner, to advance the detailed design of development requirements identified in Attachment 9 to the report (June 14, 2021) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and to secure the delivery of the development requirements on terms, including details and timing, in a Lease Agreement with the development partner.

6. City Council direct that any application for planning approvals within the seven blocks of the Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) area be reviewed in the context of the Bloor-Kipling Block Context Plan (December 14, 2020) included as Attachment 7 to the report (June 14, 2021) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

7. City Council direct the General Manger, Parks Forestry and Recreation to allocate funds that have been previously secured and collected by the City through Section 37 agreements, to any of the following parks for the purpose of park design and construction: Etobicoke Centre Park (Block 2), Dunkip Park, Six Points Park (Expansion), and the Historical Alignment of Dundas Street West (Park). Such Section 37 community benefits have been obtained from the following developments:

a. 64-70 Cordova Avenue, secured for Parks and Recreation Facilities, in the amount of $615,616.03 (source account number XR3026-3700791).

b. 5365 Dundas Street West, secured for Parks Improvements, in the amount of $392,672.38 (source account number XR3026-3700781).

c. 8 Fieldway Road, secured for Parks Improvements, in the amount of $21,526.80 (source account number XR3026-3700540).

d. 5239, 5245 and 5249 Dundas Street West and 2 Aukland Road, secured for Park Improvements, in the amount of $305,173.30 (source account number XR3026-3700930).

e. 64-70 Cordova Avenue (5 Mabelle Avenue), secured for Park Improvements, in the amount of $105,670.84 (source account number XR3028-4500212).

8. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to allocate funds that have been previously secured and collected by the City through Section 37 agreements, to a new multi-use path utilizing the Hydro One Corridor from Six Points to Burnhamthorpe Road. Such Section 37 community benefits have been obtained from the following developments:

a. 3391 Bloor Street West, secured for Public Realm Improvements, in the amount of $25,408.00 (source account number XR3026-3700057).

9. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to enter into the City's standard form agreements, with insurance, release and indemnity in favor of the City, for tieback installations and crane swings, for future parks within the Six Points area.

10. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to undertake public consultation for the design and development of future parks within the Six Points area.

The Planning and Housing Committee held a statutory public meeting on June 28, 2021, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) is a group of seven publicly-owned blocks that have been created through the decommissioning of the Six Points Interchange and the City's significant infrastructure investment to support the development of Etobicoke Centre as a vibrant mixed-use transit-oriented community. The seven blocks include the future site of the new Etobicoke Civic Centre, a new Etobicoke Centre Park, and five blocks for new mixed-use development. In 2019, City Council approved the five Bloor-Kipling blocks for inclusion in Phase 1 of the Housing Now Initiative through EX1.1 "Implementing the Housing Now Initiative".

The City and CreateTO have undertaken the completion of a comprehensive Block Context Plan for Bloor-Kipling and supporting technical reports, to set the foundation and guiding principles for a phased implementation of the development vision for these lands, including the provision of new affordable rental housing as part of the City's Housing Now Initiative.

This report recommends approval of City-initiated amendments to the Etobicoke Zoning Code and Site-specific Zoning By-law 1088-2002 and the City-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013, as amended (the "Zoning By-law Amendment"), to permit a mixed-use development on Blocks 1 and 5, and a new public park on Block 2. Approval of the recommended Zoning By-law Amendments will permit 107,335 square metres of new development, including 99,044 square metres of residential gross floor area, which will yield approximately 1,229 new housing units, of which one third, approximately 409 units, will be new affordable rental housing. Blocks 1 and 5 will also provide a minimum of 8,220 square metres of non-residential gross floor area, creating opportunities for new retail and commercial spaces to support the mix of uses and local employment in Etobicoke Centre.

The recommended Zoning By-law Amendments are consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) and conform with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020). The Block Context Plan for Bloor-Kipling conforms with the City's Official Plan and is a significant step towards redevelopment of the Six Points area, as set out in the Etobicoke Centre Secondary Plan.

The Block Context Plan for all blocks within Bloor-Kipling (including the Etobicoke Civic Centre) establishes a 3:1 ratio of residential space to non-residential space to maintain a balance of uses. The majority of new community services and facilities and office uses are proposed to be contained within the new Etobicoke Civic Centre. Each development block provides for a mix of retail and commercial spaces, which will ensure that Provincial and City policy objectives for non-residential use in the Centre can be met. New residential units at Bloor-Kipling being offered at market rent or as ownership housing will meet the City's Growing Up Guidelines with respect to the provision of new 2- and 3-bedroom units sized to house families and larger households. Blocks 1 and 5 will be designed to meet the Toronto Green Standard Tier 2 Version 3, in accordance with Council direction for the Housing Now Initiative.

The unique approach to the built form will contribute to a distinct character for Etobicoke Centre, which emphasizes quality of the public realm, mobility, and connectivity to higher order transit at the Kipling Mobility Hub.

Blocks 1 and 5, the two mixed-use blocks will remain as City property and will be leased to a developer for the construction, and contractual provision of the affordable housing component for a term of 99 years. The partner on each block will be responsible for detailed design and submission of a Site Plan Control application based on technical work that has been undertaken by CreateTO and City divisions to support the proposed development concept, in addition to other obligations of the lease agreements related to the provision of new affordable housing.