At Wednesday’s City Council meeting, councillors approved the zoning application for the first mass timber building on a city-owned site, marking the final stage of approvals from the City before construction can begin.
To be located at 1113-1117 Dundas Street West, the 10-storey building will be a part of the City’s Mass Timber Pilot Program, which aims to assess the feasibility of delivering affordable rental housing within a mass timber form in order to provide needed housing while reducing carbon emissions. Two other mass timber projects, including a 12-storey project on Danforth Avenue and an 18-storey building on Queens Wharf, are also in the planning stages.
1113-1117 Dundas would bring 122 units to the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood, 28 of which would be affordable units. The new build won't just be used for residential purposes, though, with over 2,000 sq. ft of commercial space planned for the ground floor facing onto Dundas West.
At the site, concrete will only be used for construction of the foundation, with the rest of the building designed entirely of mass timber. The laneway suites will also take advantage of prefabricated panels, which can further reduce construction time.
Further initiatives to make the building greener will come in the form of ground source heat pumps to heat and cool the building without the use of natural gas, as well as the addition of solar panels on the roof. Although the City notes that the energy generated from the solar panels is not enough to achieve net zero emissions for the building, it will help "reduce the burden of the building on the grid during peak summer conditions."
But, despite the project’s noble aims, there has been some push back from the surrounding community. Currently, the site of the eco-friendly build is occupied by a surface Green P parking lot located in close proximity to a number of attractions including Ossington Ave itself and Trinity Bellwoods. As a result, the area sees a lot of out-of-city visitors who often arrive by car — a point brought up in a deputation from Meg Marshall, Manager of the Ossington BIA, at the Toronto East York Community Council on July 10.
“We are a culinary hub with four Michelin Recommended restaurants, a place that retail brands choose to have flagship stores, and are also an arts and events neighbourhood,” said Marshall. “Many visitors do get here daily by car and will need somewhere to park.” The group then asked that the development plans be revised to maintain the 37 paid parking spaces by moving them underground, though no motions were passed at City Hall to request building plans be revised.
If successful, this pilot project will serve as an example for how the City can deliver a new, scalable, and affordable housing solution that also supports climate action.
