Approved office tower rezoning (left), new residential tower rezoning (right) for the site at 2-24 East Broadway and 2520 Ontario Street
There's an approved office tower at 2-24 East Broadway that's already been rezoned twice. The property owner now seeks to abandon the plans to build office space and instead rezone the site for a residential tower. Is this a sign of the times? Is there a lack of demand for new office space?
City staff are holding a virtual Q&A period from January 10 to 23, 2024 to receive comments. No in-person Open House is planned. Details about the revised tower design are on the ShapeYourCity webpage. This tower proposal does not comply with the Broadway Plan, as there's a requirement to have job space on the second floor, at a minimum. The height and density of the updated tower design are similar to the previous office tower (7.5 FSR and 45.1m / 148 ft.); however, there's a significant decrease in the number of parking spaces from 228 spaces to 74 spaces. Retail space is still planned for the ground floor. A total of 152 market rental units are proposed.
There's another office tower rezoning at 855-865 W 10th Avenue that has a number of similarities to 2-24 East Broadway. While the rezoning for 855-865 W10th Avenue was approved on May 9, 2023 by Council, it appears that the proponents are taking their time to go forward with a Development Permit. This rezoning was submitted back on August 10, 2021. Is this property in a holding pattern?
The rezoning of properties and subsequent resubmissions of new rezonings for the same site can waste a lot of time from all of the stakeholders: City staff, Council and members of the public. Should sites that have 're-rezonings' have a lower staff priority in the overall queue of applications?
For reference, the pertinent section of the Broadway Plan is reproduced below for this site. Note that there is an opportunity for a POP (on-site public open space) with enhanced corner setbacks noted on the map at Ontario and East Broadway; this apparently not being pursued in this new rezoning application:
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