Last Updated - November 19, 2024
This month, the Toronto District School Board approved TLC’s Conceptual Master Development Plan for the property at 705 Progress Avenue in Scarborough. The plan includes a new school, housing, a community hub, and a public park.
In 1996, the former Scarborough Board of Education and the former City of Scarborough jointly purchased 705 Progress on a 50-50 basis, intending to redevelop the almost 11-acre site into an elementary school and municipal park. Located in an area expected to experience significant population growth, the site continues to present an opportunity for the TDSB and the City of Toronto.
In 2021, City Council directed city staff and CreateTO to work with TDSB to advance a master development plan for the site that would explore additional uses on the site, including opportunities for housing and a community hub. Since then, TLC has been working collaboratively with the City to create a conceptual plan that would include mixed-use buildings, an affordable housing component, a community hub for local charities, a large district-scale public park and a 927-pupil space elementary school located in the podium of the proposed buildings.
The existing industrial buildings on the site are currently being leased to commercial tenants and several non-profit community agencies under the City Community Space Tenancy program. TLC will work with the City to develop a relocation and re-accommodation strategy for tenants who qualify for space in the new community hub and those who may need to relocate.
The Conceptual Master Plan is the type of collaboration between municipalities and school boards called for in new provincial planning documents. Following this direction is critical to submitting the site as a capital priority to the Ministry of Education in the future. The plan will go to City Council for approval in early 2025. TLC will continue to advance predevelopment work in partnership with the City, with a construction target of 2027.