The Starklands mixed-use development is one of many redevelopments in the area that have been triggered by plans for the new St. Clair-Old Weston GO station. Other nearby proposals are for 43 Junction Street, 189 Old Weston Road, 290 Old Weston Road, and 1799 St. Clair West.
An article in Urban Toronto states that SGL Planning & Design (on behalf of Benny Stark Limited) submitted an Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-Law Amendment and Draft Plan of Subdivision applications to the city of Toronto. The site is located northwest of the intersection of St. Clair Avenue West and Old Weston Road.
This will be a TACT Architecture-designed mixed-use development consisting of:
- Mostly residential development
- Retail space
- Office space
- New public park
The proposal will allow for the City's plans to extend Keele Street south through part of the site, and Gunns Road under the rail corridor and east into the site. It also includes the creation of two new east-west local roads to connect Keele with Benny Stark Street.
The documents submitted to the City's Planning Department refer to the development as the Starklands. The developers intend the proposal to contribute to the creation of a complete community in what is now an industrial area. The residential part of the development would include:
- Mix of ground-level, mid-rise, and high-rise housing options
- 29 three-storey townhouses
- 3 mid-rise buildings
- 4 high-rise buildings
- Total of 1,818 new residential units in one to three-bedroom layouts
- Gross floor area of 153,447 m2 resulting in an FSI of 3.40
There is currently a rail infrastructure near the site that was once used to service the industry that was previously on the properties, but is no longer used for that purpose. The railway is key to revitalizing these under-utilized industrial lands through the development of the coming St. Clair-Old Weston GO Station, by providing significantly improved transit accessibility that will attract new residents and new employment.
The City's proposed road extensions will greatly improve the entire area of this development and would enable Benny Stark Street to function as a central road leading north into the development and providing significant frontage to the proposed public park.
The park could be expanded by the City through conversion of the rear portion of the City's EMS facility to provide a link to the existing Turnberry North Park.
The high-rise buildings will be 38 and 46 storeys, with a shorter one standing at 22 storeys. There will be four primarily residential buildings with one 24-storey tower, plus three mid-rise buildings of 10, 8 and 8-storeys that transition to the low-rise neighbourhood to the north. Ground floor retail and commercial space would be facing the Keele Street extension.
The northern block would be composed of 29 three-storey, land-based townhouses providing a transition to the adjacent low-rise neighbourhood beyond.
Other features include:
- 3,578 m2 of indoor amenity space on various floors of each building
- Fitness rooms
- Party rooms
- Gathering spaces
- Adjacent to outdoor amenity spaces
- 723 parking spaces on one underground level in the two southern towers
- Two levels of underground parking in the 24-storey tower in the middle block including 77 visitor parking spaces
- 1,673 bicycle parking spaces proposed
As far as nearby transportation, bus routes operate along nearby roads and the St. Clair Avenue TTC streetcar is a 10 minute walk from the site and connects to the subway. The new GO station is expected to be operational by 2026. The station is planned north of St. Clair Avenue West, and west of Union Street along the Kitchener GO Transit line. The Starklands site is located 300-500 metres north of the planned station and would be less than a 10 minute walk.
