Save the Church Street Village

The Church Street Village is under attack! We urgently need your help to defend the character of the Village, which is threatened by a proposed development.

If this proposal is approved, it will have a domino effect. More, taller buildings are sure to follow, setting a legal precedent that will allow the development of large-scale projects along the Church Street Village strip, obliterating the character of the Village and Toronto’s historic 2SLGBTQ+ community.    

The Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association (CWNA) has heard our community loud and clear. We need to defend our neighbourhood against irresponsible development. We must preserve the city’s plan for the Village strip, which emphasizes sensitive low-scale infill that respects the existing character, including the fine-grain retail and low-rise scale.

KingSett Capital, the owner of 68 Wellesley St. E, is at the Ontario Land Tribunal to appeal the City of Toronto's refusal of its application to build a 28-story tower at the corner of Church and Wellesley. 

The Tribunal has granted the CWNA party status in this matter. We need to retain legal counsel and an expert witness to advocate for the community and bolster the City’s case for refusal. The Tribunal needs to hear how the proposal will negatively impact the Village, so CWNA’s participation is desperately needed to ensure that the community’s voice is heard.  

CWNA needs to raise $40,000 by June 30 to underwrite the professional fees for participating in the hearing. And we need your help! Any amount you can contribute will make a difference. 

Together, we can make meaningful change and ensure the character and footprint of our beloved Village is retained so it remains a vibrant place of business and a safe space for community to live, work, and gather together. 

Can we count on you to help save the Village? 

In solidarity,

CWNA

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Background info:

Application details: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/application-details/?id=5391282&pid=227055&title=68-WELLESLEY-ST-E

Refusal report from the City of Toronto: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-244077.pdf

Refusal report from Acting Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, City of Toronto: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-244049.pdf

Development’s web page at Urban Toronto: https://urbantoronto.ca/database/projects/68-wellesley-street-east.55199

Podcast: A Deep Dive into Church Wellesley Village Planning Issues

An AI generated podcast compiled from relevant planning documents, as well as the 68 Wellesley St E application and refusal report.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H7NWNhCfhoXWo2wOO3Ec8FoLHoJUYa1v/view?usp=drive_link