Work on the Finch West LRT is expected to wrap up this year, and with new transit tends to come new housing development. Nordale Estates is one developer with sights set on the area.
Nordale’s proposal was submitted to the City at the end of last month, and lays out plans to bring 35- and 37-storey towers and almost a thousand new residential units to 44 Romfield Drive, near the intersection of Keele and Finch.
The site is currently occupied by 33 townhomes, which would have to be demolished if the proposal gets the go-ahead from City staff.
A planning report prepared by Goldberg Group reveals that the development would be just over 130 metres at its highest point. A total gross floor area (GFA) of around 65,090 sq. m has been proposed, which would include roughly 64,730 sq. m of residential GFA, according to the report.
The towers are anticipated to pack a substantial residential punch, with 972 condo units and 33 replacement rental units proposed.
The report also describes ground-floor retail and amenity components, including an indoor amenity area that would be linked to an outdoor amenity area on the west side of the building. Indoor and outdoor amenity areas are planned for the first, sixth, and seventh floors as well.
Kirkor Architects
Kirkor Architects
Renderings prepared by Kirkor Architects show the pair of towers rising from a five-storey, ‘U’-shaped podium. Projecting balconies line the tower element, while inset balconies puncture the podium. The renderings also show a 756-sq.-m public park on the south end of the site fronting both Keele Street and Romfield Drive.
Kirkor Architects
Kirkor Architects
Kirkor Architects
Nordale’s proposal is just a taste of the changes to come in the Jane and Finch area, which has always felt a little removed from the rest of the city. However, the arrival of the Finch West LRT is expected to change that, and developers seem eager to invest in the neighbourhood's future.
The redevelopment of Jane Finch Mall is another major project that will help to transform the area in the coming years. A dozen new buildings are set to crop up on the site in the long term according to a development proposal from Bray-Jay Investments Ltd.
