In May of this year, South Etobicoke residents were met with the news that the long-established—and lately infamous—House of Lancaster was slated to close its location on The Queensway. The site of at least three shootings since 2013, the adult entertainment venue has been touted a catalyst for violent incidents, gaining in relative notoriety amidst the gentrifying urban context around it.

The House of Lancaster, image via Google Maps

Sold to the Parallax Investment Corporation, the low-slung street-fronting building and surface parking lot will give way to a townhome development marketed as Royal Q Towns. Designed by the IBI Group, the project will introduce 55 new homes to the area, as well as four new street-fronting retail spaces along The Queensway.

Royal Q Towns, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Located two blocks east of Royal York Road, the 4,026 m² Queensway site also fronts onto Penhurst Avenue and Wesley Street to the west and east respectively. These quieter frontages would be occupied by three-storey townhomes, while the 296 m² of retail space along The Queensway see the north elevation reach a slightly higher four-storey height.

Aerial view of the site, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Surrounded by single-family homes to the east and south, a school to the west, and retail along The Queensway, the U-shaped building will be organized around a private central courtyard, which will be hidden from public view. Below grade, a single level of parking is also planned, with 77 spaces, 69 of which are earmarked for residential use (exceeding a 1/1 ratio of suites to parking spots).

The ground floor plan, click for a closer view, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Given the modest scale of the proposed development, no rezoning is required for the project to proceed, with a Site Plan Application (SPA) now under review. As such, the project could proceed through the planning process relatively quickly.

We will keep you updated as additional information becomes available. In the meantime, you can learn more by checking out our Database file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment on this page, or join the conversation in our Forum.