Developers pull plug on Leslieville Lofts project

Tight zoning in the area of the proposed Leslieville Lofts has pushed Toronto developers Hyde Park Homes and Lamb Development Corp. to pull the plug on their Riverside development.

The development companies sought approvals for a 152,000-square-foot, 157-unit, nine-storey condominium in summer 2007. ..dThe building was to be located at 134-162 Broadview Avenue, just north of Queen Street. The site is nestled in a South Riverdale neighborhood among restaurants and boutique shops.

Designs for the building were completed by Toronto-based Core Architects. The original proposal was two storeys higher than the area zoning limit of four storeys. When Lamb development found Toronto’s city council unreceptive to the project and then subsequently lost a zoning battle with the Ontario Municipal Board, the project was cancelled.

Lamb Developments still intends to build on the Broadview Avenue and Queen Street site; however, the development is anticipated to be a stacked townhouse project that respects the four-storey height limit. The new building is unlikely to bear the name Leslieville, since the address is actually in the neighbouring Riverside.