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
Thank you for reading this update and don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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/.
Build a Better Bloor Dufferin 
Let Dufferin Mall know how you feel about 4 new luxury rental towers at the north end of their parking lot!!!!! Join BBBD and neighbours in Dufferin Grove Park across from the mall ramp at 3:00 Friday.
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It would be great to build a building towers this would help the community’s to have a place to live .Walmart retail store should stay.so that the tenants has a retail store to shop specially the No Frills. This are the.important stores to stay .
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Hi there When I went to Walmart this evening I saw a lady handing out a flyers to the peoples passing by and then when I look at it I see all the details of what they are planning to do with a dufferin mall. The way I look at it , The dufferin shopping is getting too boring to shop the stores inside the Dufferin is way too boring to shop around. I aggree its time to build the giant building towers so that our communities out there has a place to live and to stay instead of having this Dufferin mall is not helping the communitys at all. Building a giant towers is way better that having a Dufferin mall Its time to close down the Shopping mall and just go ahead of building the giant towers.But please let the Walmart store to stay at the area and just remove the Dufferin shopping mall.The Dufferin shopping mall is not worth it to be around I dont like this mall its a waste of time shopping and everything inside the mall is boring. I rather shop at Yorkdale mall than shopping at this mall. Is not worth it to shop,and its a waste of time to keep it open for many years Please just go ahead of building the giant towers its time for the change for life. Building the towers will help all the communities to have place to live and to stay instead of having this boring Dufferin shopping mall its a waste of time and efforts having this mall. I suggest to go ahead and build the giant building towers its way better.
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Annie, just to be clear, the mall intends to remain as is except for the proposal of 4 residential towers on top of more retail and office space to take over the North East part of their parking lot. We’re just saying that if they are going to add 1135 new luxury units or 3000 new residents to our neighbourhood that’ll make our parks and services (library, daycare etc.) way more congested. They can make a profit from their luxury rental units and the community deserves to benefit too.
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