Background
HousingNowTO is a pro-bono professional services collective that uses data, planning and architectural best practices to ensure that the City of Toronto maximizes the opportunities for creating new affordable-housing on surplus City-owned lands. They were founded in December 2018 to track-progress and advocate for improve-outcomes on the surplus lands identified by City Council.
Image credits: Google Maps
Project Description
101 Coxwell Avenue - Toronto Police Services 55 Division - Redevelopment as Affordable-Housing & Community-Use. Our volunteers are starting to review the HOUSING NOW pipeline site on the north-east corner of Coxwell & Dundas. Currently, the 1.8 acre site is Toronto Police Services 55 Division, but is expected to become available in 2026 after the old stations are closed and moved into a new facility on the Danforth -https://torontopolice.on.ca/d55/new-d55-station.php The MUCP students would be able to develop multiple options, designs and economic proformas to explore the best ways to make use of this surplus Toronto Police Service site and align with the MUCP themes of Climate and Justice.
In this project, the Client expects the team to design the following:
1) A review of the City of Toronto’s Housing Now & Open Doors programs and relevant affordable housing funding sources
2) Affordable housing development case studies in Toronto.
3) A site context analysis including:
a.) Current site conditions including surrounding land uses.
b) Planning policy framework.
c) Planning regulations.
d) Neighbourhood demographics that will help identify potential tenants.
e) Transit, Amenities and Community Services.
f) Green Building and Passive House standards.
g) Housing market conditions as it relates to affordability.
4) Recommend one (or more) affordable housing development concept with a planning justification that includes massing.
5) Recommend planning actions needed to accommodate the proposal(s).
6) Provide a proforma analysis for the development concept(s).