Brand-new Toronto Tesla dealership to be torn down for enormous redevelopment

A Toronto Tesla dealership that just opened its doors at the start of 2024 is already a target for demolition, and could soon be razed to make way for an enormous residential complex stretching a full city block.

The paint may still be somewhat fresh on a Tesla dealership at 5500 Dundas St. W., between Billingham Rd. and Paulart Dr., but the Etobicoke outpost of the controversial electric car manufacturer is the subject of a major redevelopment proposal from property owner First Capital REIT.

The proposal seeks to demolish the existing car dealership and redevelop the building and surrounding surface parking with a block-long complex consisting of 16- and 14-storey buildings designed by architects Superkul, reaching heights of 57.1 and 63.3 metres.

The site is something of a transition point between the industrial lands to the south and low-rise residential neighbourhoods to the north.  

Other large-scale developments are planned for the area, however. One notable example is a recently-shelved plan to intensify the site of Cloverdale Mall, though this plan ultimately fell flat due to the faltering condo market.

First Capital hopes to inject 560 new residential units into the neighbourhood, though planning documents specify that the proposed tenure of the buildings has yet to be determined.

Plans state that the unit mix is aimed at "a wide range of households, including families, young professionals, and seniors," and will include 222 larger units (40 per cent of total) with two or more bedrooms, with 149 two-bedroom units and 73 three-bedroom units planned for the complex.

The proposal contemplates a 313 square-metre privately-owned publicly accessible open space, almost 1,000 square metres of street-fronting retail space, and a parking component with over 300 vehicle spaces and 430 bicycle parking spaces.