Big change is coming to the Ordnance Triangle, a currently underused tract of land formed by the diverging CP/GO Transit Georgetown rail line and CN/GO Transit Lakeshore rail line on the east to Strachan Avenue on the west. Real estate development firm Diamondcorp has recently released several early renderings of their master planned community, which includes a total of 5 towers divided into two major phases.

Rendering of Ordnance Triangle redevelopment, image from cityzen.typepad.com

Rendering of Ordnance Triangle redevelopment, image from cityzen.typepad.com

Phase One of the project, currently dubbed as "30 Ordnance" for its address, will consist of two Hariri Pontarini Architects-designed towers standing at 27 and 32 storeys. Between the two towers, a pedestrian promenade will lead into a 3.9 acre public park designed by acclaimed landscape architects Claude Cormier + Assoc. Plans for the park include a proposed Olympic-sized swimming pool as well as a touchdown point for the planned Fort York Pedestrian Bridges. The 629-unit first phase, which has been approved by the City of Toronto, is to be built in partnership with Cityzen and Fernbrook Homes.

Rendering of 30 Ordnance, image from cityzen.typepad.com

Rendering of 30 Ordnance, image from cityzen.typepad.com

Rendering of 30 Ordnance's podiums, image from cityzen.typepad.com

Rendering of the Claude Cormier designed pedestrian promenade, image from cityzen.typepad.com

The remaining 2.1 acres of land within the block will be home to ambitious second phase of the Ordnance Triangle redevelopment. The plans call for three towers standing at 49, 23 and 29 storeys, containing 1,109 residential units as well as 2-3 floors of commercial and retail space. Two of the three towers would extend the design aesthetic of the initial Hariri Pontarini towers, while Chicago-based bKL Architecture—known for their unique design of Diamondcorp/Cityzen’s 592 Sherbourne proposal—will tackle the third and tallest proposed structure. This second phase will be developed in partnership with Build Toronto, the city's real estate and development corporation.

Rendering of Ordnance Triangle redevelopment, image from cityzen.typepad.com

Rendering of phase 2 podium, image from cityzen.typepad.com

Plans call for Strachan Avenue to be transformed into “an urban and active street forming a significant retail hub while providing an inviting retail promenade that extends to new cafes and patios lining Ordnance Street.” Sited immediately to the east of Liberty Village, this development would bring more retail to an area that has been criticized for being not mixed enough in this uses.

Toronto City Planning is concerned about giving over so much land here to residential uses in what has until now served as an employment zone. There is also concern amongst locals that the proposal may overbruden the already strained transportation capacity of local roads and transit. While it is situated amongst so much rail transportation infrastructure, a future GO station is not necessarily viable on adjacent land owing to property constraints and grade changes. Meanwhile, speculation over a potential TTC subway station on a western leg of the proposed Downtown Relief Line is fueled by proposals such as this one.

Ordnance Triangle redevelopment plans, image from cityzen.typepad.com

Ordnance Triangle redevelopment plans, image from www.claudecormier.com

As planning advances and anticipation grows for this large-scale redevelopment, we will be sure to provide updates as they become available.

Looking for more information now? A comprehensive collection of renderings and additional facts regarding The Ordnance Triangle and the adjacent Garrison Point Park can be found at the project’s associated dataBase page, linked below. To get involved in the discussion, please visit the related forum thread, here, or voice your opinion in the comments section below.