Will Ashcroft in Leaside Life mentions an application to build retirement apartments on Laird Drive South of McRae Drive. The application to rezone mentions 146 and 150 Laird Drive. Both buildings are old and 150 is a heritage site. It was the office building of Durant Motors Canada and later (in 1960) occupied by the Metro Toronto Separate School Board. It looks from the 12 crosses along the front of the building that it was substantially altered for the separate school use. In any case, the application calls for 284 apartments on the combined site between Markham Ave and McRae. Dr.
Former CIBC buiding
The story makes no mention of the former CIBC building at 180 Laird which sits in a most unfortunate place for traffic flow. It is now owned by First Capital Reit and is vacant. First Capital owns Leaside Village shopping centre. There are said to be efforts to turn the old bank into a restaurant It’s easy to imagine however how planners might like to somehow lever the development plans into a way of rationalizing traffic across and onto Laird at McRae and Wicksteed Ave. Ashcroft says the application was filed by Bousfields Inc., a Toronto-based land-use planning firm, on behalf of Viva Retirement Communities, a Canadian-owned and operated company.