TORONTO – The Ontario government is partnering with the private sector and the City of Toronto to build five transit-oriented communities along the Ontario Line, including one at East Harbour. Integrating transit, housing, commercial space and park land, along with other amenities, is part of the government’s plan to build more homes near transit and vibrant communities, while reducing gridlock, creating more economic opportunities and supporting the creation of thousands of new jobs.
“The Ontario government is seizing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build complete communities around transit,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “We have worked tirelessly with the City of Toronto and our private sector partner to reach this exciting milestone, and we look forward to transforming these communities to include transit facilities, while also ensuring compatibility with surrounding neighbourhoods and creating benefits for families and businesses for generations to come.”
Ontario has signed an agreement with Cadillac Fairview to build a transit-oriented community at the future East Harbour station. The 38-acre site will include the creation of a major employment centre expected to bring more than 50,000 jobs, as well as new residential and commercial space, community amenities and park land. Transit-oriented communities are also being planned for the future Corktown, Queen-Spadina, King-Bathurst and Exhibition stations.
Ontario’s transit-oriented communities program will place more housing, including affordable housing, and jobs at and around transit stations along the routes of the province’s four priority transit projects in the GTA and across the existing GO rail network. This will help increase transit ridership, reduce gridlock, create an estimated 375,000 construction jobs for the entire subways transit-oriented communities program and improve the quality of peoples’ lives.
“Our government is addressing the housing supply crisis head-on,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “This announcement is a testament to the strong partnership between our government and the City of Toronto. Today’s Minister’s Zoning Orders will help support transit-oriented communities while building approximately 7,000 much-needed new homes for Ontarians and their families.”