GTA Construction News staff writer
Construction has begun on a new purpose-built rental housing development at 275 Merton Street that will deliver 494 new homes, including 148 affordable units.
A partnership between the City of Toronto, CreateTO and Collecdev-Markee, the project repurposes City-owned land that formerly housed a Toronto Water office building. It will add new publicly accessible space, a retail opportunity, and an expanded midblock connection between Merton Street and the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail.
“The City of Toronto is investing more than $8 million and leveraging city-owned land to build more affordable homes for Torontonians,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “We are pleased to partner with CreateTO and Collecdev-Markee to break ground on 494 new rental homes including 148 affordable homes.”
The site is one of nearly 100 City-owned properties that are either housing ready or may be unlocked for future residential development. Using public land is one of the most cost-effective ways to expedite construction and ensure long-term affordability, the city said.
The Merton Street project will offer a range of unit types, including family-sized two- and three-bedroom homes. One-third of the new rental homes will be affordable for households earning a range of incomes.
CreateTO negotiated a development partnership with Collecdev-Markee that combines the City-owned property with an adjacent developer-owned site to maximize the project’s potential, accelerate delivery, and enhance pedestrian access to the Beltline Trail. The building will also meet Toronto Green Standard sustainability measures, supporting the City’s climate action goals.
The project is part of the City’s HousingTO 2020–2030 Action Plan, which targets 65,000 new rent-controlled homes by 2030, including 41,000 affordable rental, 6,500 rent-geared-to-income and 17,500 rent-controlled units.
