Duff Mall agrees to 120 affordable units
10% of apartments in towers to be affordable for 99 years.
Dear neighbours,
After over a year of community effort, BBBD is pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Primaris REIT to provide 120 affordable rental units in the planned new Dufferin Mall tower development. These affordable units will make up over 10% of the total residences in the new buildings and have been secured for 99 years.
They will be reserved for local people struggling with housing. Tenants will be referred by local non-profit agencies who provide settlement and housing supports in our neighbourhood, and the City of Toronto’s Affordable Housing Office will create strong tenant support and eviction prevention plans to make sure that tenants get the supports they need.
We are very excited about this agreement’s contribution to the Bloor Dufferin neighbourhood. Not only will it provide much-needed affordable housing but it sets a minimum expectation for future developments in the area. As a result of the agreement, BBBD has withdrawn our legal opposition to the new development at the Land Use Planning Appeals Tribunal (LPAT). Nonetheless, we were disappointed that negotiations did not result in other important community benefits on the site, like significantly improved park space or increased child, youth and senior care and activity space to enhance our growing and vibrant community.
This was truly a community effort. We would like to thank Ward 9 City Councillor Ana Bailão, who supported us throughout this process, ensuring that our voices were heard by City staff and by the developers. Thanks are also due to the other members of the Dufferin Mall Community Working Group, who set the bar high from the beginning, with a strong community vision statement for the site.
We would like to thank Ward 9 City Councillor Ana Bailão, who supported us throughout this process, ensuring that our voices were heard by City staff and by the developers. Thanks are also due to the other members of the Dufferin Mall Community Working Group, who set the bar high from the beginning, with a strong community vision statement for the site. We thank our lawyer, Marc Kemerer, for supporting our participation in the LPAT process, and the four volunteer expert witnesses who prepared statements and offered to testify on our behalf at the Tribunal. Finally, thanks are due to all of you, our neighbours, for your strong support, vocal enthusiasm, generous donations, participation in our surveys and summer leafletting, and ongoing advocacy for equitable development in our neighbourhood and beyond.
We are proud of our community’s insistence on equitable and inclusive urban development. Surely, though, such intense community efforts, shouldn’t be necessary to secure the benefits and housing we need. BBBD supports calls for a robust Inclusionary Zoning policy that would make these obligations clear, mandatory and permanent. And we are pleased that Councillor Bailão’s motion to initiate a secondary plan for the area was passed in January 2021. Legislating clearer rules for developers, so that they contribute to all elements of complete communities, is critical. We will be continuing to advocate for and support meaningful community engagement in the secondary plan process.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions, comments or would like to get involved in BBBD’s work.
Sincerely,
Build A Better Bloor Dufferin
Rapacious REIT puppet visits Duff Mall
Our local MPP and City Councillor join community for July 9 information picket at Dufferin Mall and Walmart.
Build a Better Bloor Dufferin and the local community conducted an information blitz at Dufferin Mall on July 9. It revealed people are concerned over plans by Primaris, which owns the mall, to build four apartment towers on the site. Their plans do not take into consideration the parks, transportation, affordable housing and services such a huge development require.
Here’s some pictures of the protest. (And special thanks to Clay and Paper Theatre for their “Rapacious REIT” puppet. We’ll certainly want to toss him in the fire at the next, post-COVID, Night of the Dread.)
Here’s our MPP, Merit Stiles, take on the event
Donate—please. Finally, we need to replenish our LPAT funds. When we were preparing for the LPAT hearing for the Bloor Dufferin site (a process that won our community a $17 million affordable housing land trust) we raised money with an incredible concert at the Burdock. Neighbours also bought our inspiring lawn and window signs to contribute. If you are in a position to contribute now, we would greatly appreciate your support. You can give online, here, or at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/babbd/
If Dufferin Mall wants massive towers, they need to be a good neighbour
Dear Neighbours,
Over the past few months we’ve been working hard to negotiate community benefits as part of the proposed redevelopment of the north end of the Dufferin Mall site. In particular, we’ve been advocating for affordable housing on the site- something that we all know is desperately needed in this neighbourhood and across Toronto. Many of you have contributed to this work with your generous donations and letters of support. Thank you.
Sadly, we have hit an impasse. After months of “working groups” where they promised to collaborate, and days of negotiation and mediation, the Mall position is clear. The Dufferin Mall, and the giant multinational REIT that owns them, wants to do as little as legally possible to offset the impact of their development. They want to build four giant luxury towers, some over 30 storeys high, but they will not meaningfully contribute to affordable housing, more park space or any of the benefits that we’ve told them will keep this neighbourhood liveable and affordable. We’re frustrated. And we’re willing to fight.
Help get the message across. Here’s how:
- Come out this Friday, July 9, anytime between 3 to 6 pm to make signs and/or help hand out leaflets. We are meeting in Dufferin Grove park, at the southwest corner of the rinkhouse, starting at 3 pm and then walking over to the mall at 4 pm to hand out flyers.
- Sign our online petition and send a message to the Mall owners: Petition can be found here
- Share this email with your friends, and post the petition link (bit.ly/DufferinMallDevelopment) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Continue to speak with your neighbours, friends and family about the need for more affordable housing in new condo developments. The City will be voting on a new inclusionary zoning policy in September, and we need to give them a strong mandate.
This development is the tip of the iceberg. It seems like every week that we hear about a new batch of condo towers set to replace rental housing, artist studios, local storefronts and affordable spaces. We’re joining organizers across Davenport and beyond to demand better. Thanks for having our back.
Sincerely,
Build A Better Bloor Dufferin
Donate—please. Finally, we need to replenish our LPAT funds. When we were preparing for the LPAT hearing for the Bloor Dufferin site (a process that won our community a $17 million affordable housing land trust) we raised money with an incredible concert at the Burdock. Neighbours also bought our inspiring lawn and window signs to contribute. If you are in a position to contribute now, we would greatly appreciate your support. You can give online, here, or at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/babbd/
Thank you for reading this update and don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Deputy Mayor fights Rapacious REIT
Deputy Mayor fights Rapacious REIT
BBBD:Press Release, July 7, 2021
Community & Deputy Mayor Join Forces to Fight Rapacious REIT Over Mall Redevelopment
The Build a Better Bloor Dufferin community group and Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão will be picketing the Dufferin Mall on Friday, July 9, to encourage local shoppers to take their dollars elsewhere until the Mall changes its development plans. Dufferin Mall, owned by Primaris REIT and multinational giant HR REIT, plan a four tower, 30-story luxury residential development on the north quarter of the property, but have offered almost no community benefits to offset the impact of the new buildings.
The Community Group, neighbours, and Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão will be picketing the mall Friday July 9th, from 4:00 – 6:00 PM, to bring the message home to the owners.
“They want to build 1,000 units, almost none of them affordable to people who live in our community. They’re asking for significantly increased density on the site and, in return, we’re asking for a significant affordable housing contribution. Our city desperately needs it.” said Build a Better Bloor Dufferin co-chair Maggie Hutcheson.
“They seem to have forgotten that they’re also a local retailer,” said Erella Gagnon, head of the local park organization Friends of Dufferin Grove. “People aren’t going to want to shop at their WalMart, or their NoFrills, if they’re wrecking the community at the same time.”
“This is exactly why we need regulation of REITS,” said Build a Better Bloor Dufferin co-chair Sean FitzPatrick, “The greed of Real Estate Investment Trusts has no limits. They damage communities, they don’t care about neighbourhoods and they’ve upended the housing market. Real estate has become the latest international investment casino. We need housing but this financialization of real estate has got to be regulated. We need the federal and provincial governments to step in now and tightly regulate REITs before more neighbourhoods are wrecked and the cost of housing ruins everyone’s life.”
Join Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão,
Build a Better Bloor Dufferin, and community leaders
Friday July 9th, at 4:00 PM
in front of the WalMart at Dufferin Mall,
for a protest against the damage being done by rapacious REITS
Gather at Dufferin Grove Park, 3 p.m. in front of the old rink house, across from Duff Mall entrance.
MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING ENCOURAGED
email info@buildbloordufferin.ca or tweet to @buildbloor
Build a Better Bloor Dufferin 