Background
The Lower Yonge Precinct is an emerging mixed-use community situated along Toronto’s central waterfront. This Former industrial area was identified by City of Toronto as an area well suited for revitalization. In 2016, Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto completed studies for the Lower Yonge Precinct Plan, which established the planning requirement for urban design and community infrastructure. Staff from the TDSB Planning Department participated in this comprehensive planning study and determined that a new elementary school would be required to accommodate the proposed population density and intensification planned for the Area.
In planning for an elementary school, multiple potential locations and approaches were considered by the TDSB. The traditional land acquisition model for TDSB has been a stand alone building on 3-acre parcel of land. With rising real estate prices and scarcity of large parcels in the area, it was extremely difficult for TDSB to acquire adequate land to accommodate a traditional standalone building in the Lower Yonge Precinct. After these considerations, alternative approach of forming a partnership with an existing developer, to build a school in a podium of the building with access to playground space in the podium and city park became a sensible approach.
On November 18, 2021, the ministry provided funding for a new Jk-8 school with 455 pupil places at Lower Yonge Precinct, now known as Sugar Wharf Public School.