Waterfront Toronto takes a step toward first buildings for new Port Lands island community

The agency released a request for qualifications — the first stage of the procurement process — for a development block expected to deliver about 700 housing units, including a target of 30 per cent affordable rental housing.

The move marks a major milestone in a decades-long effort to transform former industrial lands at the mouth of the Don River into a mixed-use waterfront community. Plans for the island ultimately call for roughly 14,000 homes, along with parks, community facilities and public spaces — a task that federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson calls “one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Canada” and Mayor Olivia Chow says will build a more affordable and safe city.

But while the vision for the neighbourhood is moving closer to reality, questions remain about whether the area can support the scale of growth being proposed — and how potential changes at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport could affect future residents.

“It is really important for the city and the partners they work with — us, in the case of the Port Lands — to make sure we’re accommodating growth for the city,” said Waterfront Toronto chief development officer Meg Davis.

Susannah Bunce, an associate professor in the Department of Human Geography at the University of Toronto Scarborough who is not involved the project, said Waterfront Toronto originally identified the Port Lands as a redevelopment priority when the agency was created in 2002, but shifted its focus elsewhere because of the challenges associated with assembling land in an area home to active industrial operations.

More than two decades later, redevelopment is moving ahead, but Bunce said major questions remain about infrastructure and whether the area can support the population growth envisioned by planners.

“It’s a very huge development in terms of the size,” Bunce said of the Port Lands development. “The question is whether or not the island can actually sustain the amount of population that they are expecting to move to that area.”

She said the vision is vulnerable to a variety of forces beyond the city and Waterfront Toronto.

Economic headwinds, including high construction costs and a weakened condominium market, could affect how quickly development proceeds.

The future of Billy Bishop Airport is another uncertainty. While details are limited, the Ontario government has expressed support for expanding the airport and allowing larger jet aircraft to operate there.

She said increased air traffic could affect quality of life for future residents and create new challenges as thousands of homes are built nearby.

“Jets are much noisier than the twin-prop airplanes that are currently taking off and landing at Billy Bishop,” Bunce said. “It’s a huge concern.”

Shauna Brail, an urban planning professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga, said the project represents the next chapter in a waterfront revitalization effort that has drawn international attention for more than two decades.

“Not only the city is watching, but I think the world is really watching because of the amount of time and energy and attention that’s been focused on this area,” she said.

Brail said the relatively small size of the first development block may reflect today’s challenging housing market, where developers face high construction costs and weak condo sales.

“They’re going carefully and cautiously, but also demonstrating the opportunity and the scalability,” she said.

While the first phase alone will not solve Toronto’s housing shortage, Brail said the broader vision for thousands of homes on the waterfront could play an important role in accommodating future growth.

She added that the project’s success will depend on more than housing — with transit, public spaces and community amenities needing to grow alongside the neighbourhood.

“We don’t want a fake wonderland down on the waterfront,” Brail said. “It needs to be a real place for real people.”