Boarded-up building surrounded by fencing and weeds, with faded development notice sign.

Addressing moribund development sites

Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2 PHC
Attention: Sylwia Przezdziecki

MM43.10 – Addressing Moribund Development Sites

by Councillor Shelley Carroll, seconded by Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin

Dear Mayor Olivia Chow and Members of City Council,

This is to express our strong support for the Member Motion that directs staff to undertake a comprehensive review of the City’s ability to manage “moribund sites”.

We agree that the City is experiencing a growing number of development sites where planning approvals have been granted, but construction has not proceeded due to broader economic conditions, financing challenges, and market uncertainty. We also agree that while Council and other levels of government have taken steps to address barriers to housing construction and encourage the timely delivery of approved projects, the City also has a responsibility to ensure that properties within communities are maintained to appropriate standards while they await redevelopment.

We recognise that additional legislative authority may be required, and there is a need to identify potential changes and engage with the Provincial Government to pursue any necessary amendments to ensure municipalities have appropriate tools to protect neighbourhoods and hold properties accountable.

The Motion is focussed on property maintenance through the Property Standards Bylaws. While this is a central concern, and within the City’s jurisdiction, however we also request that:

  1. The City work with other housing partners to push to reform the current and failed housing development financing model (pre-sales) widely used in Canada, and consider alternatives, and also expand the role of non-profit housing.
  2. The review address the potential to ensure productive use on such sites on an interim basis, such as:
    • Maintenance of existing housing on site for temporary uses (e,g. organizations providing housing for refugees)
    • Provision of public amenities – parks, pickle ball, food trucks, bike share, parking, etc. on an interim basis.
  3. The City ensure robust public engagement at all stages of the review.

Yours truly,

Geoff Kettel
Co-Chair, FoNTRA

Cc:  Gadi Katz, Acting Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards
Kamal Gogna, Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building
Jason Thorne, Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning
Doug Rollins, Executive Director, Housing Secretariat