Toronto Community Housing officially opens 20 Zachary Court, the first new TCHC building to replace aging homes in the Lawrence Heights community
TORONTO, June 8, 2019—Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), the City of Toronto, Phase 1 partner Heights Development and tenants celebrated the opening of 20 Zachary Court, the first new building constructed to replace aging homes as part of the Lawrence Heights revitalization project.
Tenants have already begun moving into the 77-unit building near Ranee Avenue and the Allen Expressway. Close to 80 per cent of the units are 3- to 5-bedroom units that provide stable housing to families. TCHC's goal is to build a total of 255 rental units in Phase 1, and the project is on target to reach that goal in 2022.
Toronto Community Housing's approach to revitalization leverages land value to replace aging social housing, build new market housing, and create social and economic benefits for tenants, their neighbours and the city as a whole. Its plan for transforming and revitalizing Lawrence Heights reflects years of input from tenants, neighbourhood organizations, community partners and the City.
Quotes
"The City of Toronto is committed to the revitalization of Lawrence Heights. Residents, City Council, TCHC, and our private sector partners are all working together to transform Lawrence Heights into a vibrant, mixed-income, mixed-use community. We are working together to replace aging social housing, build new market condos, expand community economic development opportunities, and add new roads and amenities to the neighbourhood.
— John Tory, Mayor, City of Toronto
"Toronto Community Housing is proud of what we are accomplishing in Lawrence Heights in partnership with the City and our phase 1 developer partner, Heights Development. Toronto Community Housing's approach to revitalization leverages land value to replace aging social housing, build new market housing, and create social and economic benefits for tenants, their neighbours and the city as a whole.
— Kevin Marshman, President and Chief Executive Officer
"Context/Metropia (Heights Development) is very proud of what we have accomplished thus far as Toronto Community Housing's partner, by building new homes and amenities in Lawrence Heights, so that all tenants and all residents can live in new homes and this vibrant community can be better connected to surrounding streets and neighbourhoods."
— Howard Cohen, CEO, Context (a partner in Heights Development with Metropia)
Read More
About the Revitalization of Lawrence Heights
At 40.5 hectares (100 acres), Lawrence Heights is Toronto Community Housing's largest revitalization project. Through revitalization, this site south of Yorkdale Shopping Centre is being transformed into a vibrant, mixed-income, mixed use community. Once all phases are completed, the revitalization project in Lawrence Heights will have replaced 1,208 Toronto Community Housing units, and added more than 4,000 new private market condominium units, along with new parks, retail space, and roads connecting Lawrence Heights to the surrounding community. This plan for Lawrence Heights reflects years of input from tenants, local residents, neighbourhood organizations and the City of Toronto.
Mayor John Tory (middle) joins (left to right) Context CEO Howard Cohen, TCHC CEO Kevin Marshman, tenant Nicola Rose and family, MPP Robin Martin, MP Marco Mendicino, Councillor Mike Colle and event co-emcee Isaiah Afrira to officially open 20 Zachary Ct.
About Toronto Community Housing
Toronto Community Housing is Canada's largest social housing landlord, providing homes for nearly 60,000 low and moderate-income households in neighbourhoods across the city. We are wholly owned by the City of Toronto and our 2,100 buildings represent a $10-billion public asset. Toronto through its $5 billion community revitalization program, Toronto Community Housing is working with private development partners to replace or refurbish more than 5,000 homes in some of the city's oldest public housing developments.
About Context and Metropia
Context and Metropia, working together as Heights Development, support Toronto Community Housing and the Lawrence Heights Community's vision for the revitalization of Lawrence Heights into a vibrant, mixed income neighbourhood focused on good quality housing, community engagement, environmental sustainability, and excellent urban design and architecture. The goal is that the revitalization will redefine Lawrence Heights and reconnect the community with the city, both physically, socially and become a desired place to live and work for both current and future residents.
Media contact
TCHC media line 416-737-1352 or media@torontohousing.ca
