25 Photography Drive is an exciting proposed transit-oriented community offering new housing opportunities, more places to shop, and a grocery store, all anchored by inviting open spaces and a large central tree-lined thoroughfare for pedestrians. Picture this: stroller-friendly walks to the grocery store, places to play and be with your neighbours, safer routes for walking, biking, and strolling to nearby parks and community spaces, and excellent access to the future Mt. Dennis transit hub (GO, UP Express, LRT).

25 Photography Drive is located in Toronto’s vibrant Mt. Dennis neighbourhood, bounded by Eglinton Avenue West to the north, Black Creek Drive to the east, and Weston Road to the south and west. It is located across the street from the York Recreation Centre and steps from the local No Frills grocery store.

This is the start of a multi-year planning process for a complex, mixed-use community. The current No Frills will continue to serve the community throughout the planning process and beyond. There are no near-term plans to redevelop the grocery store.

The Mount Dennis transit hub is set to open in 2022 with the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and will bring much-needed connections for existing and future residents by completing the transportation network in the west end of Toronto.

25 Photography Drive will be a complete community, providing amenities and services to meet your everyday needs. A grocery store will be part of the proposed plans, with the addition of new neighbourhood retail options to support a growing community. New residents and those who will visit the area will be able access day-to-day services or stop here on their way home from the transit station.

There will be inviting open spaces and a large central tree-lined thoroughfare for pedestrians, with new connections to nearby parks to support a healthy lifestyle, foster social development and improve physical surroundings for all residents. The pedestrian thoroughfare will be a place to sit and just be with your neighbours, or go for a stroll with the family.

The City of Toronto is currently experiencing a housing crisis, and to meet the demands of a growing city, the Master Plan includes a range of housing typologies to meet different needs and lifestyles. Affordable housing will be discussed as part of the planning process, including the potential for more rental units to accommodate a diverse population.

The 25 Photography Drive project team, led by Choice Properties, is working with the City of Toronto and community to bring a proposed community with connections to transit, new housing opportunities, more places to shop, and a vibrant neighbourhood experience to the Mount Dennis area. Our skilled team of experts who have experience in building, designing, and planning Master Planned, Transit Oriented Mixed-Use Communities, and include: Speight Van Nostrand & Gibson Ltd (SVNG), Giannone Petricone Architects, Goodmans, NAK Design Group, Bousfields Inc., Ramboll, SLR Consulting, BA Group, Counterpoint Engineering, Golder Associates, Pratus Group Inc., Hatch Ltd., and Lux 9 Inc.

25 Photography is located just south of the future Mount Dennis transit hub, and will connect transit riders to the GO Transit Kitchener Line, UP Express, Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and TTC. The plans include a bus loop integrated within the site and significant upgrades for pedestrians and cyclists, including a large central tree-lined thoroughfare for pedestrians, well-lit streets, traffic calming measures, and two new pedestrian crossings through the construction of a new intersection at Black Creek Drive and Eglinton Avenue West. This means easier, quicker access to transit and safer connections to the nearby Community Centre, Sports facilities/York Recreation Centre, library, and existing green network.

We are still early in the planning process, and submitted our Official Plan Amendment (OPA), Zoning By-Law (ZBA), and Draft Plan of Subdivision Application to the City of Toronto in 2021. Community engagement kicked off last summer with the launch of our website and online survey. The final Community Ideas Report will be used, in addition to City comments, to inform revisions to the Master Plan. We plan to resubmit an updated Master Plan in 2022, and will provide additional opportunities for the community to get involved and share feedback on the plan as we move through this process. Sign up to receive updates about the project and upcoming community engagement opportunities here.

Choice Properties is committed to creating engagement experiences that are transparent, accessible and inclusive, and support the gathering of feedback from a diverse range of audiences and perspectives. We will be working with the community and the City of Toronto to ensure the vision for the site meets the needs of the Mount Dennis neighbourhood. Our first phase of community engagement kicked off summer 2021, and there will be more opportunities to get involved as we move through this process.