Toronto’s Design Review panel has hailed developer QuadReal’s plans for the transformation of Cloverdale Mall as a "masterful example of mall transformation.”

Plans for the 32-acre site including tearing down the existing mall, and evolving the entire site into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly community with a park and retail space. The plan was drafted by architects Giannone Petricone Associates, planners Urban Strategies, and landscape architects Janet Rosenberg & Studio.

It’s no secret that Cloverdale Mall is situated in a less than community-friendly location. The site is bordered by The East Mall, Dundas Street West, and Highway 427, with the cloverleaf interchange of Dundas and the 427 at its southwest corner.

The design team has several ideas in mind to take attention away from the high-speed traffic barriers on the site. For example, it is proposing construction of 10 towers, ranging in height from 16 to 48 storeys, along the south and west edges of the site. Doing so will take away some of the noise and visibility associated with Highway 427 and Dundas Street. Pedestrian streets—complete with green spaces—would be located around the perimeter of, and throughout, the site. All would connect at various points with The East Mall.

The central block of the development will be anchored by what the design team is calling a “Village on the Park” complex. This would feature a one-storey retail building framed with two eight-storey mid-rises along the south and west edges. The central block will have open-air pedestrian walkways lined with retail that lead to a central gathering and event space.

The site proposal supports a number of goals, including creating open spaces and a community destination, offering a diverse mix of housing, improving community connectivity, reinvigorating the site as an arts and culture hub, and pursuing excellence in sustainable community design.

In their review, the panelists praised the plan for its mix of uses, small-scale retail focus and integration of green spaces. They offered further suggestions for the developer to improve its submission, including lessening the mass of towers on the site, integrating more transit, and giving careful consideration to how the project development would be phased.

It is expected that QuadReal will submit its rezoning application for the site in the spring. The developer is currently conducting community consultations on its proposal.