The community had to take the Province to court to prevent the demolition of the heritage assets on the Dominion Foundry site on Eastern Avenue. As a result, three heritage buildings will be preserved and adapted to the new development. 

The CDNA is in direct communication with developer Aspen Ridge, the City of Toronto, and Waterfront Toronto, providing the community's feedback and perspective as plans unfold.

Why It’s Important

The heritage buildings remaining on the site are among the last visible remnants of the neighbourhood’s industrial history. Their historic value and structural soundness has been confirmed by heritage experts. 

This development will, by 2029, bring more than 1,800 new residents into the neighbourhood. The sheer size will have a very large impact on the character and infrastructure of the neighbourhood. In addition, the developer has begun to revise its plans to cut costs, and the results are clearly inferior.

The Story

In October 2020 the Government of Ontario issued a Minister's Zoning Order (MZO) granting the buyer of the Dominion Foundry site the ability to erect 40-story residential towers, bypassing the normal municipal planning process, and bypassing any community consultation. Supporting materials relating to the site hinted (inadvertantly) that Aspen Ridge was already interested in the site.

Urgent letters to the Province were ignored; instead demolition equipment was moved onto the site and destruction of the heritage buildings commenced in January 2021, with the stated intention of demolishing all the heritage buildings. The community engaged in coordinated protests, which engendered a massive show of support from the wider community. Simultaneously, the nearby St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association initiated a court action which successfully paused the demolition. 

“Had it not been for the swift action of this group, there is every chance that these buildings would have been destroyed before legal proceedings were brought to identify the issues that will be decided in this application.” - Judge David Corbett

Further negotiation between the community, the City, and the Province brought about a settlement. The site was purchased by Aspen Ridge in March 2022. This developer is working with the community and the City on a development plan that preserves the heritage buildings while allowing development to go ahead to the specifications outlined by the MZO. 

Aspen Ridge plans to build three residential towers on the site. Two of the buildings will be market-rate condominium apartments; the third will be given over to affordable rental housing. Initially planning for 43, 34, and 18 storeys in height, revised plans have raised the 18-storey building to 31 storeys (see City of Toronto information). It will have the same number of units as the previous plan, just a smaller footprint. 

Three of the original five heritage buildings will be preserved: the “Cleaning Room” at the corner of Eastern and Rolling Mills Road; the “1935 Machine Shop”, a long windowed building along Palace Street; and the “1939 Machine Shop”, a windowed building at the eastern end of the site, which will be given to the City of Toronto as a Community Space. (Please see the “Foundry Community Space”) Project for more on that.

Aspen Ridge originally planned to break ground in early 2025, and to complete the project by 2029. However with the condo market falling and construction costs rising, they are moving slowly. They have submitted revised plans to the City as of July 2025.

What You Can Do

Sign up for updates