Toronto’s newest neighbourhood, the Canary District, will come to life following the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan AM Games.
The name was inspired by the legendary Canary Restaurant, a 1960s diner on the corner of Cherry and Front Street that closed its doors in 2007.
During the July 2015 games, the 35-acre site in the West Don Lands will be used to house 10,000 athletes, coaches and team officials for four weeks.
The development, nestled between the Distillery District and the new Don River Park, will be bound by Old Eastern Avenue, Cherry Street, Mill Street and Bayview Avenue.
And once athletes pack their bags, the waterfront project, developed by Dundee Kilmer Developments Limited, will be converted into residential properties, said Peter Wilson of Infrastructure Ontario.
“We have a contract with Dundee Kilmer for $514 million…It’s their responsibility to develop the village on time on budget and take on the risk of marketing and selling the market condominiums,” Wilson said.
The area’s first project, launched in June 2012, will include 800 condominiums and townhomes, with the Canary District Condominiums comprising of two glass, steel and limestone towers connected by townhomes.
Other plans for the area include a 5,000-bed residence for George Brown College students, a YMCA and 250 affordable rental housing units for low income families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.
Not everyone is happy with the new development, however. The $709-million project is being funded by Ontario taxpayers, and earlier this month it was revealed the project was not included in the $1.4-billion budget for TO2015.
The Ontario government said the athletes’ village wasn’t included in the TO2015 budget because of its plans to transform it into a new neighbourhood after the Pan Am and Parapan AM games.
With a report from CTV’s Karlene Nation
