Alexandra Park Master-Planned Community Revitalization

Alexandra Park is a long-standing downtown Toronto social housing community originally built in the late 1960s, when prevailing urban planning and design trends of that time was to build social housing in self-contained, homogeneous and car free neighborhoods. The 18-acre site owned by Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), is currently undergoing a major redevelopment as part of a multi-decade, multi-phase revitalization that started in 2013.

This master-planned redevelopment when completed will see all existing aging and outdated rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units replaced and financed through the introduction of condominium buildings in Alexandra Park. When construction is complete, the community will contain approximately 800 new TCHC rental units, and 1,800 new market-rate units in a mix of apartments, condominiums and townhouses. This public-private partnership is designed to transform Alexandra Park into a modern, vibrant mixed-income, mixed-use community.

This master-planned community revitalization project was recognized with an Urban Land Institute (ULI) Award for Excellence in both the Global and Americas categories. We’ve been a contributor to Alexandra Park’s redevelopment from the beginning, providing acoustical consulting for multiple new residential projects developed in this community. Our involvement as acoustical consultants began with SQ and SQ2, the first two condominiums completed in the first phase of redevelopment.

Both SQ and SQ2, are 14 storey LEED Gold designated condos, housing 241 and 161 residential units respectively. Amenities in both include a yoga studio, fitness centre, a private dining area, steam rooms, whirlpool spa, a theatre, and a party room. SQ2 also includes an adjacent block of 3-bedroom townhomes. HGC Engineering is currently on the team developing a new mixed-use complex called AP2A (Alexandra Park Phase 2A), which will house 172condo units alongside 104 co-op rental units in two towers resting on a common three-storey podium. The 13-storey west tower, will operate as a market rate condominium known as MRKT, while the east tower, reaching 14 storeys, will be owned and operated by the existing Alexandra Park Atkinson Community Co-op. Entrances, elevators, hallways and amenities will be unique to each tower group, which will each have a unique mechanical and electrical system as well. Only the loading area will be shared between them. Three retail spaces will be housed at grade, two of which will be owned by Toronto Community Housing Corporation. A two-storey childcare facility and a number of townhouses will also be part of the complex and be accessible at street level.