Local Residents Rally to Save Humbertown.
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| First Capital Realty Humbertown Redevelopment Rendering |
Driving
through the affluent west end Toronto neighbourhood of Humber Valley Village,
you can't help but notice lawn sign after lawn sign imploring passersby to
"Save Humbertown." The signs are part of an effort by local residents
to stop a redevelopment of the area's Humbertown Shopping Centre.
Humbertown,
which opened in the 1950s, is a strip plaza located on Royal York Road. It acts
as a sort of neighbourhood hub and is anchored by a Loblaws store. It is owned
by First Capital Realty (which also owns Hazelton Lanes and the Shops at King
Liberty).
Early
this year First Capital Realty submitted an application to redevelop the Humbertown site. The mixed use proposal
included commercial space, townhomes, and condo towers of up to 21 storeys. In
the face of local opposition, the developer submitted a revised development plan. The
new plan reduced the scale but not the density of the proposed development.
First Capital's revised plan called for three condo buildings of up to 12
storeys with retail podiums and townhomes surrounding a central square.
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| First Capital Realty Humbertown Redevelopment Rendering |
Last
night at a meeting of the Etobicoke York Community Council the proposal was
voted down but will now move to city council. Residents fear the
density of the development will set a precedent in a neighbourhood defined mostly
by single family homes and small three story apartment buildings. Mayor Rob
Ford, who supports the community opposition said, “You can’t be tearing down this stuff. This is not downtown. This is Etobicoke."
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| First Capital Realty Humbertown Proposed Tenant Plan |
In its commercial component the proposed development includes a new underground parking lot, and new retail space for tenants such as Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, and the L.C.B.O.
Click here to watch a video of the development proposal.
[Renderings via First Capital Realty]
