Toronto community enraged by condo proposal they're calling 'a problem'

A proposed 39-storey condo tower has incensed locals in Toronto's The Kingsway area, who are banding together to fight the proposal. However, not everyone is buying their arguments, including some community members who have spoken out against the campaign to fight the development. 

Fairway Developments is seeking to redevelop an existing three-storey rental property at 69 Old Mill Terrace, filing plans in late 2025 to bring a 39-storey tower to the site, rising to a height of almost 136 metres with a design from architects Superkül.

A post shared on Wednesday in the South Etobicoke Community Group on Facebook rallies locals to fight the development, characterizing the proposal as a "problem" and warning neighbours that "it deserves serious community attention."

The proposal site is for a corner lot along Bloor St. just west of Old Mill Station on the TTC's Line 2, though area residents insist that the plan is inappropriate for the site. 

The community group post argues that "The corner lot is far too small for a project of this size" and posits that "a 39-storey tower is completely out of scale for this area," adding that "there's nothing like it nearby."

Rendering of the proposed development. Superkul/City of Toronto.

Despite the nearby subway station, the community group argues that the ratio of 82 parking spaces to 371 units is unacceptable, and presumes that the lack of visitor parking would add to vehicle congestion in the area.

The post places the needs of existing residents above those looking to move to the area, and claims that since Bloor West traffic is "already a mess" (blaming bike lanes in the process), locals should be spared from any further construction.

An entirely unrelated excavation incident on Old Mill that dragged on for years is cited as another "real warning of what can go wrong when massive construction is forced into sensitive areas."

Another flawed argument is that green space in the area is already "under pressure," despite the fact that City-mandated parkland contributions for private developments exist, meant to address this exact issue.

The post concludes with a call to action, saying, "As someone who's lived here most of my life, this development simply doesn't make sense for The Kingsway," and urging locals to attend an upcoming community consultation to oppose the project.

However, not everyone in the community is on the offensive, and a few commenters pointed out that the proposal site is just steps from a subway station, invalidating the assumption that residents of the new development would rely on cars to get around, and voiding arguments about the lack of parking and added congestion.

The site's proximity to Old Mill TTC station. City of Toronto.

One commenter fired back at the post, writing, "Sounds like exactly the kind of project that needs to be built right beside a subway station."

The user went on to argue that people have grown weary of affluent areas trying to call the shots about urban planning, writing, "Many are tired of extremely wealthy neighbourhoods like the Kingsway getting to make the decisions while density soars in other communities that don't have the transit infrastructure to support it."

As for arguments that the tower is out of scale for the neighbourhood, commenters pointed out that high-rise development is happening all over Etobicoke. One user asked, "Sorry, why shouldn't a condo go there like everywhere else? Look at Humber Bay. It's happening everywhere."