Just a short walk from Yorkdale Mall lies the neighborhood of Lawrence Heights. This public housing project has been around since the late 1950s and early 1960s, and as built by the young Metro government, was Toronto's first public housing development outside of the old City of Toronto boundaries. Unfortunately, the neighborhood and has not aged particulraly well over the past fifty years and it has gained a degree of notoriety not unlike Regent Park, an earlier public housing project now well into a lauded redevelopment.

Plans to redevelop Lawrence Heights have been in the works since 2007, and those are now moving forward as the Toronto Community Housing board have announced developers for the first of five phases for the Lawrence Heights Revitalization Project. Context and Metropia will help develop 25 acres of land in the neighbourhood which lies south of Highway 401 and north of Lawrence Avenue West around the Allen Road. Plans are to build 233 replacement rent-geared-to-income units, and 828 market condominiums and townhomes, replacing aging structures in the neighborhood. This will be coupled with $40.3-million for infrastructure approved by City Council.

Lawrence Heights Revitalization Plan, image by Urban Strategies Inc.

The Lawrence Heights Revitalization project will focus on designing basic infrastructure of the community, replacing subsidized housing with newly built condos and townhomes, adding prime retail space, expanding current parkland, and bridging the gap between Lawrence Heights and the surrounding neighborhoods and attractions.

Guiding Principles of Lawrence Heights, image by Urban Strategies Inc.

According to the Lawrence-Allen Public Realm Master Plan, the revitalization is guided by four basic principles: Greening, Mobility, Livability, and Identity. Greening will create an interconnected green network for the neighborhood, linking parks, streets, and open spaces together while creating an "urban canopy". Mobility will ensure pedestrian friendly streets for the neighborhood, and will enhance and complete connections between neighborhoods and public spaces. Livability will be improved by enhancing the quality of life by designing safe and inviting public spaces. Identity of the neighborhood will focus on public art, providing a coherent identity and sense of community for residents.

Lawrence Heights Revitalization Plan, image by Urban Strategies Inc.

The current community of 3,500 people will be included in the revitalization process, the first time Toronto Community Housing residents have been included in the selection of development plans. After many community meetings and public outreach, current plans are to demolish the existing 1,208 subsidized units to develop 4,100 new market condos and townhouses over a fifteen to twenty year time frame. Developers Context and Metropia Inc. have also agreed to a community economic development plan, placing $3.5-million toward resident-focused employment opportunities, and $500,000 towards education and job training fund for current residents.

Lawrence Heights Revitalization Plan, image by Urban Strategies Inc.

After the twenty-year revitalization is complete, infrastructure of the community is expected to improve significantly. Lawrence Heights is already served by Lawrence West and Yorkdale subway stations, has direct access to Highway 401, and is one block from Yorkdale Mall. Removing the stigma from Lawrence Heights while creating a new vibrant mixed-income neighborhood is the main goal for the revitalization, giving area residents a better quality of life and better prospects.

The project will house an estimated 16,000 residents once the build-out is complete. Construction is expected to begin in mid 2013, continuing in five phases until 2028 at the earliest. To keep updated on the Lawrence Heights Revitalization Project, check out the UrbanToronto dataBase entry and Forum thread below.