Just Chicken – COMING SOON to 1703 Bayview!
A new eatery is on its way to 1703 Bayview Avenue, with signage in the window announcing the upcoming arrival of Just Chicken Portuguese BBQ. A building permit is also posted, indicating renovations are underway. The location was previously home to the Academy of Culinary Arts, which closed in April 2020.
An update brought to you by the Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA)
Rendering for proposed mixed-use development of three towers at a height of 32, 37 and 43 storeys at 660 Eglinton Ave E. View: Looking north from the park (by Turner Fleischer Architects Inc. for CONCERT PROPERTIES) /City of Toronto
SUNNYBROOK PLAZA (VIRTUAL) PUBLIC MEETING APRIL 2nd AT 6 P.M.
The City of Toronto will hold a virtual public meeting to hear community input on the updated proposal for the redevelopment of the Sunnybrook Plaza site at the northeast corner of Bayview & Eglinton on Wednesday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m.
You can join online or by phone. Register anytime in advance here to be able to attend next Wednesday’s meeting.
The developer had originally proposed two mid-rise mixed-use buildings of 11 and 16 storeys. Following the subsequent changes to the city’s official plan made by the Ontario government, a revised application for three towers of 32, 37 and 43 storeys has since been submitted.
The Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) and the Leaside Residents Association (LRA) are encouraging area residents to participate in the public meeting and make their concerns known to city planners.
BROADWAY PARKETTE CHALLENGE
The city’s plan to designate three lots adjacent to the planned redevelopment of the Esso station site at Broadway and Eglinton as future green space is being challenged by the property owners. The original motion, passed by Toronto City Council, was one of the last initiated by the late area Councillor, Jaye Robinson.
Designed to increase the amount of public park space amid the massive redevelopment plans for both the Esso site and the adjacent Glazebrook Ave. townhouses, the measure is being challenged at the Ontario Land Tribunal, a provincial body which can override municipal decisions. BARA is seeking party status for the proceedings, to support the city’s argument against the appeal and in favour of keeping the future parkette plan in place.
The Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) is a volunteer organization of Bayview/Eglinton residents who care deeply about their neighbourhood.
We work hard to ensure that our concerns about the impact of new developments on the history and character of our neighbourhood are fully and fairly considered. BARA opposes inappropriate redevelopment in our area, such as 25 to 46-storey towers abutting 2-storey houses and buildings with inadequate parking for residents and guests.
Stay informed by joining the Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) Facebook Group, or mailing list. Input your e-mail address below to subscribe:
2025 Agnes Macphail Award Recipient, Jason Ash /Toronto.ca
The award, established in 1994, celebrates individuals in East York who embody Macphail’s legacy of civic engagement. Read the full City of Toronto release here.
More details: UrbanToronto
An update brought to you by the Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA)
Bayview Carwash, March 2025 /Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA)
On March 19th, the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) gave its approval for a 46-storey mixed-use building on the site of the Bayview Car Wash at the corner of Bayview Ave and Roehampton Ave (1802 Bayview Avenue).
The proposal was challenged at a December hearing by city planning and legal staff, and the Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA). Key to BARA’s position was the fact that the city’s Official Plan states that the tallest buildings around Crosstown LRT stations should be closest to those stations, with all surrounding developments transitioning into the neighbourhood.
City council previously approved a 35-storey building directly atop the Leaside LRT station entrance on the southeast corner of Bayview and Eglinton.
“According to the city’s Official Plan, everything outside the actual corners of Bayview and Eglinton should therefore be less than 35 storeys,” said BARA Co-President Jesper Thoft. “We are very frustrated by this decision.”
The Toronto Star recently reported an analysis of OLT rulings which found that 97 per cent go in favour of developers’ applications. The OLT is a provincial body, and its decisions on development applications are final and binding.
One of the few alterations ordered by the OLT on the car wash site development is for a slightly bigger setback from Bayview Ave than the developer had proposed, something BARA and city planners had advocated for at the hearing.
The Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) is a volunteer organization of Bayview/Eglinton residents who care deeply about their neighbourhood.
We work hard to ensure that our concerns about the impact of new developments on the history and character of our neighbourhood are fully and fairly considered. BARA opposes inappropriate redevelopment in our area, such as 25 to 46-storey towers abutting 2-storey houses and buildings with inadequate parking for residents and guests.
Stay informed by joining the Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) Facebook Group, or mailing list. Input your e-mail address below to subscribe:
Bayview’s newest lifestyle boutique, Homebody Studio, is set to open its doors at 1575 Bayview Avenue this Saturday, March 22, 2025. Announced on their Instagram, the grand opening will welcome shoppers looking for a little bit of everything for the home or for the body.
Meanwhile, Canadian pride is in full display along Bayview. MP Rob Oliphant’s office (#310, 1670 Bayview Ave) is offering free Canadian flag pins, handheld flags and they’re keeping a waiting list for full-sized flags (3′ x 6′) — call ahead to check office hours and availability.
Just down the street, a large Canadian flag now waves proudly in front of Ramona’s Kitchen (1608 Bayview Ave).
The Frederick, a 28-storey condo tower, is progressing steadily after replacing its crane following a collapse last fall. The building, part of the Upper East Village community, is now seeing glazing and cladding installation as it nears its full height. See photos on UrbanToronto.
Meanwhile, Viva Leaside, a retirement rental development at 150 Laird Drive, has topped off its two towers at seven and eight storeys. The project incorporates the preserved heritage facades of the former Durand Cars administrative building and is now in the final phases of exterior work. Learn more and see photos on UrbanToronto.
An update brought to you by the Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA)
A bid by the developer of #2-20 Glazebrook Ave to demolish the existing townhouses has been rejected by North York Community Council. Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) and Leaside Residents Association (LRA) both spoke against the proposal, which would have seen the site sit vacant for an indeterminate amount of time – possibly years – before construction begins on an approved 31-storey tower. Don Valley West Councillor Rachel Chernos-Lin made a motion to refuse the application and North York Community Council agreed that the townhouses should remain in place until a building permit is issued for the new development.
We are awaiting word from the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) on the final height and mass of the new tower proposed for the Bayview Car Wash site at 1840 Bayview at the corner of Roehampton Ave. A hearing was held in December, at which BARA had official party status and spoke against the developer’s bid to construct a 46-storey building – by far the highest of any approved project for the Bayview-Eglinton area. Concerns were also expressed about the proposed width of the sidewalk on Bayview being too narrow. City staff objected to a tower in excess of 40 storeys. The OLT’s decision – which will be final and binding – is expected in the coming weeks.
A public meeting was recently held to hear views on a proposed 39-storey condo building on Glenavy Ave stretching south from Glazebrook. BARA and a sizeable number of area residents told city planning and legal staff that while intensification along the major arteries of Bayview and Eglinton makes sense, tearing out houses on a side street and putting a 39-storey tower in the midst of single-family homes is poor planning. Further, it contradicts the city’s Official Plan, which calls for a “transition down in height and scale” from high-rise buildings on the main streets into the existing neighbourhood. Councillor Rachel Chernos-Lin also attended and echoed the concerns of area residents.
The Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) is a volunteer organization of Bayview/Eglinton residents who care deeply about their neighbourhood.
We work hard to ensure that our concerns about the impact of new developments on the history and character of our neighbourhood are fully and fairly considered. BARA opposes inappropriate redevelopment in our area, such as 25 to 46-storey towers abutting 2-storey houses and buildings with inadequate parking for residents and guests.
Stay informed by joining the Broadway Area Residents Association (BARA) mailing list. Input your e-mail address below to subscribe:
Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the start of construction season in Toronto. As part of the City’s 2025 Capital Works Program, road resurfacing is planned for several local streets, including:
Work will include sidewalk and curb repairs, repaving, and drainage improvements. Construction is expected to begin this summer and wrap up by fall.
A detailed construction notice with specific timelines will be issued closer to the start date. Residents can expect some traffic disruptions, noise, and temporary parking restrictions. Stay informed via the City’s Don Valley West webpage: toronto.ca/donvalleywest.
Many local residents turn to Facebook groups and other social media for community connections—but scammers are also lurking. A Scarborough man recently lost hundreds of dollars to a fraudulent online pet adoption scheme, paying fake fees before realizing he had been duped. The Toronto Humane Society warns potential pet owners to adopt only from reputable sources and to be cautious of free or low-cost pet listings that demand unexpected payments. Read more on CTV News: link.
Meet the Atlas Crane: An Unusual Park Feature in the Port Lands /waterfrontoronto.ca
Towering over Toronto’s Port Lands, the 300-ton Atlas Crane isn’t just a striking piece of industrial machinery — it’s a designated heritage landmark. Installed in 1961 at the former Marine Terminal 35, it played a key role in Toronto’s shipping industry, even helping unload TTC streetcars in the ‘60s. Now, as part of Waterfront Toronto’s revitalization project, the crane is being restored and will be a permanent feature of the new Promontory Park.
