Alexandra Park development wins ULI Global Award for Excellence
Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) has won an international award for development and urban design.
Alongside builder/developer Tridel design firms Urban Strategies Inc., LGA Architectural Partners, Teeple Architects and Janet Rosenberg & Studio, TCHC earned the prestigious Urban Land Institute (ULI) Global Award for Excellence for the first phase revitalization of the Alexandra Park community.
The community was the only one in Canada to earn the honour, and received a ULI Americas Awards for Excellence earlier this summer.
The Alexandra Park community is located north of Queen St. West and west of Spadina Ave. TCHC selected developer partner Tridel along with its project team members to update aging buildings, reimagine community amenities to better serve tenants and improve tenants’ homes and lived experience.
In revitalizing the 18-acre community, the TCHC team focused on developing a variety of housing types and land uses, improved access to services, community economic development opportunities, quality urban design, social cohesion programming, enhanced community safety, and a greener, more sustainable community.
Central to the revitalization were 10 guiding principles that were created by the residents and TCHC to direct development decisions. The first and most important principle was zero displacement, which guaranteed each resident the right to remain in the community throughout the redevelopment. This planning approach was approved in 2011 by the City of Toronto with full endorsement from the community and local stakeholders.
“Alexandra Park is a perfect example of how strategic and collaborative community building can be applied to revitalize a previously under-utilized space intro a thriving neighbourhood with mixed-land uses and enhanced community characteristics,” said Jim Ritchie, CEO of the Tridel Group of Companies. “We’re proud of the international recognition this community has received for its design excellence, and the remarkable impact our strong partnership with TCHC and Alexandra Park residents has made, creating a long-lasting, sustainable community. We look forward to the continued growth and revitalization of the Alexandra Park neighbourhood.”
The ULI Americas and ULI Global Awards for Excellence highlight urban projects which reflect overall excellence, including achievements in marketplace acceptance, design, planning, technology, amenities, economic impact, management, community engagement, innovation, sustainability, and equitable development.
“The ULI Global Award for Excellence is a reflection of Alexandra Park as a successful revitalization partnership between TCHC, Tridel and many other partners, all drawing on community input to improve homes, amenities and services for Toronto Community Housing tenants, and adding housing options in Toronto,” said TCHC President and CEO Jag Sharma.
Following the success of phase one, TCHC and Tridel are currently working through the second phase of the 18-acre development. Phase two will encompass 349 replacement social housing units, 257 refurbished rent-geared to-income units and more than 1,350 new market condominium suites, retail along Dundas Street reinforcing a connection to Kensington Market, as well as a new 1.5-acre community park and community centre.
TCHC is Canada's largest social housing provider, providing homes to nearly 60,000 low- and moderate-income households in neighbourhoods across the city. Toronto Community Housing is wholly owned by the City of Toronto and its buildings represent a $10-billion public asset.
Alexandra Park is one of eight active TCHC revitalization projects in Toronto designed to provide a mix of quality, affordable, rental and market housing in neighbourhoods where social housing has traditionally dominated, and where the need for newer housing and improved community amenities has been identified.
Featured image: Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Tridel and design partners earned the prestigious Urban Land Institute Global Award for Excellence for the first phase revitalization of the Alexandra Park community. (Toronto Community Housing)