Projects

1-7 Yonge Community

Creating a corridor of community facilities.

The ask: To create an iconic, landmark community that defines the Central Waterfront Skyline at the foot of Toronto’s most important civic street.

Collaborator
Hariri Pontarini Architects
NAK Design Strategies
BA Group
Client
Pinnacle International
Location
1-7 Yonge Street

Tags:

  • Community Engagement
  • Planning
  • Urban Design

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Team Members

Partner

Partner

Managing Partner

Partner

Principal

Associate

Senior Planner

Project Manager

The Challenge

1-7 Yonge Street is part of a larger renewal and reurbanization effort within the Lower Yonge Precinct and broader Central Waterfront and is envisioned to be “a home and workplace for people of all incomes, as well as a destination to visit” through the Site and Area Specific Policy. The block structure, road network, mid-block connections, public realm contributions, land use program and community services and facilities had to be assessed at a precinct scale, ensuring that it fit harmoniously with the vision for the broader area.

Our Solution

Bousfields provided strategic planning and urban design advice to navigate a complex policy landscape, including Site and Area Specific considerations, and broader objectives identified through the Lower Yonge Precinct, and Central Waterfront Secondary Plan to develop a mixed-use and mixed-income development that includes hotel, residential retail community and office uses.  Several key factors were considered through the process including built form, public realm and site organization, transportation considerations, land use mix, community services and facilities, sustainability, and inclusion of affordable housing.

A parcel structure was established to divide the large site up into smaller, finer grain blocks with a road network to define those blocks and integrate the property into the surrounding urban fabric, while also supporting broader transportation initiatives across the Lower Yonge Precinct and Central Waterfront. A network of privately owned public spaces was developed to provide for pedestrian permeability through the five-phase community, and a unified public realm and built form program was developed to evoke a sense of place and master-planning across the community.

The Outcome

We supported our client and worked collaboratively with City Staff on the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to achieve an approval in 2020 for all five phases of the community, which is delivering market and affordable housing units, new retail, office space, hotel suites and a 50,000 square foot community recreation centre. SkyTower, the second building, will be the tallest residential building in all of Canada. As part of the interim plans on site, the former Toronto Star building was approved in 2026 to be converted to a hotel.  

Bousfields continues to provide ongoing services for this project. When Phases 4 and 5 needed to be re-evaluated due to the impact on demand for office space after COVID-19, we began a robust 2.5-year pre-application consultation process with our client, consultant team and City Staff, and successfully put forward a revised concept in 2025. The revised concept includes a corner plaza at the intersection of Yonge Street and Queens Quay East with two architecturally significant buildings that include a broad range of uses, including market and affordable housing units, at-grade retail, a childcare centre, community space and a hotel.

Images

1-7 Yonge Community

Pinnacle International

Address: 1-7 Yonge Street

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Kate Cooper

Partner

Planning
416-947-9744x234
kcooper@bousfields.ca

Kate is a Partner with the firm and a registered professional planner with extensive experience in the practice of land use planning.  She works collaboratively within multi-disciplinary teams, building strong relationships with clients, consultants and public sector staff to resolve issues and navigate complex projects.  Kate has been involved in a broad range of community and city-building projects in the City of Toronto and Greater Toronto Area and is able to resolve land use issues and steer her clients and project teams toward a common goal. Kate has appeared as an expert planning witness at the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Projects Include:

38 Walmer Road

Adaptive reuse of a church to create new housing and community uses in the Annex.

Peter Smith

Partner

Planning
416-947-9744x212
psmith@bousfields.ca

Peter is one of the leading urban planning practitioners in the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, having graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1979 with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Urban and Regional Planning). 

Over the ensuing four decades (and counting), Peter has developed a particular expertise in leading the planning approvals for some of the most complicated and highest profile developments in the Province and, in particular, in the Downtown Toronto area. As well, he has undertaken planning policy studies for the Province and municipalities throughout Ontario and has spoken at numerous conferences and events regarding the need for properly balanced and integrated policy initiatives.

He has been recognized as an experienced professional witness before the Ontario Land Tribunal and the Courts on numerous occasions and has developed a strong reputation for analytical thinking, professionalism and integrity. Peter is a full member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and is a Registered Professional Planner.

Projects Include:

1 Front

Planning for growth. Building on history.

Louis Tinker

Managing Partner

Planning
416-947-9744x208
ltinker@bousfields.ca

Louis draws upon his experiences in the public, not-for-profit and private sectors, to advise his clients and engage with various stakeholders with a thoughtful and balanced approach. He has a diverse mix of Canadian and international planning experience, having worked on urban regeneration initiatives for the City of Manchester (UK), CIDA funded municipal strategic planning projects in Central and Eastern Europe, and various planning assignments in the Greater Toronto Area.

Prior to joining Bousfields in 2011, Louis was a Planner with the City of Toronto where he managed a full range of complex development applications. A Registered Professional Planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, Louis is a trusted expert witness at the Ontario Land Tribunal.

In his role as Managing Partner, Louis provides strategic support to the Bousfields Partnership and is responsible for managing the day-to-day business activities of the company. He works collaboratively with other leaders at Bousfields to ensure that the company, our team and our clients are set up for success! 

Projects Include:

Jocelyn Deeks

Partner

Community Engagement
416-947-9744x284
jdeeks@bousfields.ca

Jocelyn Deeks is a Partner at Bousfields and leads the Community Engagement practice. Jocelyn is a Registered Professional Planner and brings several years of experience working at the intersection of planning, development, and community engagement in the public and private sectors. She has developed and executed stakeholder engagement strategies for some of the GTA’s most complex and challenging development projects. Jocelyn also has experience developing strategic plans for Ontario municipalities.

Jocelyn has a Master in Planning (M.Pl) degree from Queen’s University.  She is a member of the Ontario Professional Planning Institute and the Canadian Institute of Planners. She is a regular presenter at conferences including those hosted by the International Association of Public Participation and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute, speaks on panels, and enjoys sharing ideas with peers on podcasts. 

Projects Include:

Roxy Shiell

Principal

Design
416-947-9744x213
rshiell@bousfields.ca

Roxy is an accomplished urban design professional with a diverse background in architecture, urban design, and land use planning. Roxy’s analytical approach enables her to solve urban design challenges of various scales and develop innovative and pragmatic design solutions for clients.

Roxy has extensive experience working on private sector development proposals throughout Toronto and the GTHA, providing her urban design expertise and contributing to obtaining planning approvals.  She is actively engaged in leading the preparation of block and master plans, conducting built form analyses, and undertaking comprehensive urban design studies, briefs, and guidelines.  She has also given expert evidence at the Ontario Land Tribunal and prepared evidence for hearings at the Toronto Local Appeal Body and OLT.

Roxy joined Bousfields in 2013 as an urban designer, building on her experience working in the field of architecture, and became an Associate with the firm in 2017. Roxy holds a Bachelor of Architectural Science, specializing in Design, from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master of Environmental Studies, specializing in Urban and Regional Planning, from York University. Roxy is a full member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and a Registered Professional Planner in Ontario.

Projects Include:

38 Walmer Road

Adaptive reuse of a church to create new housing and community uses in the Annex.

Claire Ricker

Associate

Planning
416-947-9744x270
cricker@bousfields.ca

Claire first joined Bousfields in 2015 as a Planning Intern during her co-op semester at Ryerson University. Upon graduating from Ryerson University with a Master’s degree in urban and regional planning, she returned to Bousfields in 2016 as a Planner. Prior to pursuing graduate studies, Claire earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph with a concentration in Geography and a minor in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Environmental Analysis.

Claire is involved in a wide range of land use planning and development projects throughout Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. Claire is involved in the management of various development applications, including the preparation of planning rationale reports, supporting studies and reports and draft Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments, as well as supporting materials for minor variance and site plan approval applications. She also responsible for assisting with the preparation of evidence and materials for applications before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).

Claire is currently a Pre-Candidate Member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), working towards full membership.

Projects Include:

38 Walmer Road

Adaptive reuse of a church to create new housing and community uses in the Annex.

Simran Bhatti

Senior Planner

Planning
416-947-9744x274
sbhatti@bousfields.ca

Simran joined Bousfields in September 2018 as a Co-op Student while completing his Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree in Planning at the University of Waterloo, specializing in Land Development. He joined Bousfields as a full-time Urban Planner in June 2020 after graduating with honours. Prior to joining Bousfields, he helped solicitors advance complex proposals through the development approvals and appeals process while working for the planning and municipal group of a corporate law firm. He also authored staff reports, facilitated public meetings and presented at Committee of Adjustment hearings while working for the planning department of a growing municipality. Simran’s experience working on proposals from both a municipal and private landowner standpoint make him well suited to navigating the approvals process.

Simran is now involved in a wide range of projects throughout Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. His responsibilities at Bousfields include the preparation of planning rationale reports as well as associated reports and studies for Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment and Minor Variance applications. He also assists with the preparation of draft zoning by-laws, site-specific due diligence packages, and highest and best use reports. Simran is also responsible for co-ordinating submissions and assisting with the preparation of planning evidence for senior staff appearing before the Ontario Land Tribunal and the Toronto Local Appeal Body.

Projects Include:

Christina Hoang

Project Manager

Community Engagement
(416)-947-9744 x 233
choang@bousfields.ca

Christina Hoang is a Project Manager on the Community Engagement team at Bousfields. She is an urban planner with an interest in the storytelling of personal and urban histories through maps, recipes, data visualization, and other mediums. She is passionate about community engagement and participatory planning within city-building processes.

A Master of Urban Planning graduate from McGill University, Christina is also a McCall MacBain and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSRCH) scholar where she received funding for her Supervised Research Project on equity-forward cultural planning in North American cities. Prior to joining Bousfields, she was a Junior Planner at Jay Pitter Placemaking, an award-winning, bi-national practice mitigating growing divides in cities across North America. 

Projects Include: