Here's what will replace Toronto's first suburban shopping plaza after 70 years

Toronto's first-ever suburban shopping plaza is destined for demolition after over seven decades at the Bathurst and Lawrence intersection.

Conceptual plans to redevelop the Lawrence Plaza property at 534 Lawrence Ave W. first emerged earlier this year, and the push to demolish the plaza has since taken a big step forward with the submission of a formal planning application with the City of Toronto.

Developer RioCan has entered into a joint venture with property owner the Milestone Group with hopes to transform the site — which has hosted a shopping centre since 1953 — into a new mixed-use community that would introduce significant residential density while preserving the site's importance as a retail centre.

The project team announced in March that it has begun working on a "vision to reimagine Lawrence Plaza as a vibrant mixed-use community that celebrates its history and context."

Locals got their first glimpse at preliminary concept plans for the redevelopment during a March 4 open house held at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic School. 

Months later, that concept has evolved into a full-fledged development application now in the hands of Toronto city planners.

Planning documents filed in June state that the team is proposing to redevelop the "underutilized" plaza and associated surface parking lot into "a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented complete community" boasting seven towers and a mid-rise building.

RioCan and Milestone have signed on Diamond Schmitt Architects — a once revered local firm that has since fallen from grace due to its involvement in designing the controversial Therme megaspa at Ontario Place — to design their new community.

The complex would contain towers ranging from 12 to 39 storeys, along with a six-storey mid-rise building. 

In total, almost 2,700 new homes would be provided, and while the tenure of these units has not been set in stone, planning documents state that "it is anticipated that there will be a rental component."

All of this new residential density would be anchored to the Bathurst and Lawrence intersection with a sizeable retail component measuring 11,829 square metres (127,331 square feet), maintaining the site's importance as a shopping hub for the local neighbourhood.

Other features planned for the new community include a day care fronting a new public park measuring almost 4,000 square metres.

Planning documents argue that the "proposal presents an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the city's housing supply, leverage a prime location along two Avenues at Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue West, and deliver public realm improvements, including a new park."

"It reimagines Toronto's first auto-oriented suburban retail plaza as a transit-oriented community, responding to ongoing urban change while preserving its historic role as a community gathering place," the document continues.

Lawrence Plaza is home to many businesses that have stood the test of time and been tenants at the plaza for decades. Perhaps the most notable example is United Bakers Dairy Restaurant, which has been a fixture at the north end of the plaza since 1984 and is a beloved staple among the local Jewish community.

Concerns about losing key businesses appear to have influenced the phasing strategy for the project, which calls for the community to be constructed across six separate stages.

Work would start with the northwest corner of the site, and build out new retail spaces ahead of the plaza's full demolition. This would, theoretically, allow businesses such as United Bakers to maintain a presence at Lawrence Plaza through the long-term redevelopment.