CBA for Downsview

For Downsview Lands, when it comes to ownership of lands, the key stakeholders are:

Canada Lands Company: 150 acres - Sheppard, Chesswood and Allen lands are all managed by CLC. 

Northcrest Development: Downsview Airport/Hangar lands are managed by Northcrest. 

CreatoTO (The Allen District): The Allen District is one of the districts comprising of 73 total acres and CreateTO (formerly Build Toronto) has been tasked with developing 57 acres of land in the district east of Allen Road. Working with the City of Toronto, CreateTO will first work on the Allen District Plan approval - a comprehensive master plan for the area.  

The Downsview area secondary plan also outlines seven unique districts on the lands. From the secondary plan, these districts are: 

1) National Urban Park - is intended to develop as a park of local, regional and national attraction and significance comprised of large natural and open space areas and areas of park development. Natural and open space areas would accommodate the elements of the National Urban Park and may include features such as the Canada Forest, Great Lake, Wildflower Downs and Cultivation Campus. Development areas comprise lands and heritage structures along Carl Hall Road and portions of Keele Street and are intended to create and define park edges. Development areas in the District are intended to accommodate park and park supportive uses such as museums, galleries or sports facilities and ancillary retail and restaurant uses in buildings surrounded by landscape open space to act as pavilions which recognize and support their unique location within a National Urban Park.

2) Bombardier/DND/TTC - reflects the lands related to Bombardier Aerospace, the Department of National Defence (DND), and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) rail yard and it is intended these uses will remain and their operations continue.

3) Stanley Greene – will become a residential neighbourhood. Development abutting existing residential development will be of a similar form and scale, transitioning to low-rise buildings but more intensive land uses along the park edge and mid-rise buildings along Keele Street. Lands between the local park and the rail line are intended to be developed for military housing for the Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA); these lands will be connected to and integrated within the District through a network of municipally and federally-owned streets, parks, and appropriate building scales and types while protecting for their unique security requirements. A local park will be centrally located within the District as an open space focus for this neighbourhood and will be located along a northsouth street that will connect and provide a view corridor to the National Urban Park.

4) William Baker - will serve primarily as an urban residential neighbourhood with a compact urban built form to support development density within walking distance of the new TTC/ GO Transit hub and along Keele Street. The large woodlot is recognized as a unique and desirable natural heritage feature that will be protected and combined with a municipal park to create a significant open space focus in the District. A multi-use path connecting this District to the National Urban Park via the existing pedestrian bridge is encouraged. Redevelopment of the lands will result in the removal of the concrete walls along Keele Street and the introduction of local street connections to Keele Street.

5) Sheppard-Chesswood - is centred around the new TTC/GO Transit hub and is envisioned for primarily employment uses with the exception of residential uses along Sheppard Avenue opposite the William Baker district. Development in this District is constrained by its location at the end of the Bombardier Aerospace runway. The Park space located adjacent to the TTC/GO transit hub entrances will create a vibrant public realm focus for this District. Direct public street connections will be established between the transit hub and the National Urban Park as well as across the rail line. Streetscapes will be enhanced to support and reinforce their importance as pedestrian corridors.

6) Allen - will develop as a mixed-use District with non-residential development near the Downsview Subway Station and residential development to the south. At-grade street connections across Allen Road will be established to connect and link the west and east sides of this District. Three local parks will be provided in this District; one on the west side of Allen Road and two on the east side of Allen Road. The parks on the east side of Allen Road will be linked via an enhanced Greenway linkage and together be a focus for the District and enhance connections to the subway station and Sheppard Avenue.

7) Wilson - is comprised of the three TTC commuter parking lots on Wilson Avenue at Allen Road. Redevelopment of the commuter parking lots will result in an improved streetscape and improved pedestrian connections on Wilson Avenue. The need for the replacement of commuter parking resulting from the re-development of these lots will be reviewed and assessed at the time of redevelopment in consultation with the TTC.