Underreported Density
The current 3 building (36 st; 25 st; 25 st) Lawrence East Transit Oriented Community (TOC) development proposal envisions approximately 774 housing units.[1]
Once the units are sold, the City of Toronto nor the Province (IO) has any control as to the occupancy numbers per unit. The current reported projections are at best conservative and only assumes an occupancy of 1.263 people/unit or 978 residents.[2]
The projections largely fail to take into account the current socio-economic realities of condo ownership (eg. How many single people can reasonably afford to buy a condo themselves at market rate values?)
Using more realistic projections, when rounded to 2 full occupants, that number could be as high as 1,548 people. Under a “nuclear family” model (eg. 2 parents, 1 child) that number increases to 2,600 (3 occupants) in a relatively concentrated area.
The Lawrence East TOC claims the condo(s) would include commercial space well-suited for a potential clinic to complement the adjacent and existing Scarborough General Hospital Campus, other employment uses, retail outlets and would be expected to generate approximately 357 jobs in the area. This is disingenuous.
The Scarborough Health Network’s General Campus, with three massive parking lots has ample space to build and accommodate appropriate healthcare including but not limited to a clinic. The TOC does not need to take on this responsibility, largely outside of it’s scope and jurisdiction.
The retail spaces suggested are not “net new”, it merely replaces existing core amenities (like the previous Shoppers or TD) while offering no firm commitment as to the type of retail amenities that will be provided.
The TOC claims it would generate approximately 357 jobs. The TOC fails to provide a reasonable breakdown of the jobs. How, many of the suggested jobs are actually short-term FTEs related to the construction of the complex?
Sources:
[1] City of Toronto Project Data Sheet – Lawrence East TOC https://engageio.ca/sites/default/files/2024-02/project_data_sheet.pdf
[2] Infrastructure Ontario – Lawrence East TOC Architectural Drawings https://engageio.ca/sites/default/files/2024-02/lawrence_east_architectural_drawings.pdf