There are many examples in Toronto where a site on a main street isn’t the perfect match for an assembly or redevelopment, but would be the perfect match for some gentle density, in most cases almost as-of-right while the front house main intact.Â
This strategy allows for a laneway suite typology of 3.5 storeys facing the commercial laneway in the back.Â
While the Avenues are the areas where the City anticipates the most of the growth to occur, we see that development activity, doesn’t match that growth pattern and main street properties are left underutilized.
This underutilization of main streets at the scale of low-rise buildings is a missed opportunity – the demand for family-sized units is often challenging to realize in mid-rise buildings due to high construction costs. Alternatively, a laneway suite typology on the laneway of the main street can provide larger units with this type of property.Â
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