Northern Light

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New to the AIC is this application to redevelop 630 The East Mall, which is just a bit north of Rathburn, on the west side, abutting Highway 427.

Site as is (Aerial)

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Site as is (Streetview)

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Looking north:

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The App:

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* A note on height; the above refers to the tallest towers as 24s here; while the submitted docs vary between 23s, 24s and 25s as the height ask.

Having reviewed the Arch Docs, The highest floor is the 25th floor, which inclusive of MPH, but also features Amenity Space.

The highest residential floor is 24s.

From the Docs:

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Looking south-east

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Comments: Site requires conversion from commercial zoning. Given other area proposals and approvals that seems very obtainable here.

Note an absence of retail in the proposal, this needs to be examined in the context of proposals to the south and insuring that a 15-minute city vision of easy walking to neighbourhood retail is supported. Currently this proposal is residential at-grade.

The long narrow landscape at the rear/west of the site isn't very functional, but is part of a required MTO buffer from the highway. This might be better thought of as a woodlot for the most part, given that might serve as an aesthetic buffer to what I imagine will be a highway noise/crash barrier.

Proposal will add sidewalks at north end and improve streetscape/pedestrian conditions. However, the sidewalk with then come to sudden end at the north limit of this site, where The East Mall becomes entirely inhospitable to pedestrians until almost Eglinton. While not entirely on this developer, a plan must be put in place to redesign this section of road, including provision for bus stops and safe road crossings at same, on the west side of the road.

This is what passes for a SB bus stop, just north of this site, today:

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No crosswalk or traffic light is provided.
 
So many East Mall projects ( # 900, 600, 580 ) were proposed, and went nowhere.
Same on the West Mall.
Increased population will force TTC to improve bus service there.
Currently, buses run half-empty with 20 min interval.
Let's pray Gods of Development for a breakthrough.
 

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