The transit-oriented community (TOC) proposal at the future Lawrence and McCowan Station would provide more housing, including affordable housing, jobs, as well as retail and commercial space for businesses, with convenient access to transit, including connections to bus and subway services along the Scarborough Subway Extension (SSE).
The site would be developed by the province in line with the stated objectives of the TOC program.
The future Lawrence East TOC would add housing, including affordable housing, jobs, plus retail and commercial space for businesses, with convenient access to transit, based on its proximity to the Lawrence and McCowan Station.
The province, in consultation with the City of Toronto, is working on a development proposal that would serve the surrounding neighbourhood, with a mix of uses and amenities such as housing, including affordable housing, parkland, other community spaces, and employment uses in close proximity to transit and local communities.
The Lawrence East TOC would be located on the southeast corner of Lawrence Avenue East and McCowan Road. The proposed TOC would be comprised of three residential towers with retail and commercial uses on the lower levels, below-grade parking, and associated parks and open spaces.
A Privately Owned Publicly Accessible Space (POPS) is proposed at the corner of the intersection. This would create a vibrant and active public realm, with a tree-lined boulevard along McCowan Road and Lawrence Avenue East to accommodate a diverse range of uses. It would also provide an attractive urban tree canopy, improved signage and design elements to help people navigate the space, new street furniture, and public art opportunities.
The Lawrence East TOC would include commercial space well-suited for a potential clinic to complement the adjacent and existing Scarborough General Hospital Campus, other employment uses, retail outlets and multiple outdoor amenity spaces. The Lawrence East TOC would be expected to generate approximately 357 jobs in the area.
The proposed development supports sustainability objectives by:
The proposed development is anticipated to deliver approximately 774 new residential units, providing a range and mix of housing options, including affordable housing. These would be complemented by a Privately Owned Publicly Accessible Space (POPS) extending the transit plaza on the west side of McCowan and a new park on site, to allow for active uses and connectivity to the existing neighbourhood to the east.
The proposed Lawrence East TOC would be located on the southeast corner of McCowan Road and Lawrence Avenue East. A direct connection would be enabled from the TOC to the newly proposed Lawrence and McCowan subway station.
This area of Scarborough is currently car-oriented, with no bicycle lanes and limited public transit infrastructure. In proximity to the future Lawrence and McCowan Station, the TOC would help reduce car dependency and encourage more active travel.
The Lawrence and McCowan Station would serve the surrounding neighbourhood as a transit hub, facilitating convenient connections between the SSE stations and existing surface transit routes, including the 54 Lawrence East bus, which travels east-west, and the 16 McCowan bus, which travels north-south.
The transit plaza would be framed by street furniture, double-rowed trees, and a pedestrian-oriented promenade across from the station main entrance and bus terminal on the southwest corner of Lawrence Avenue East and McCowan Road. These transit-oriented and pedestrian-friendly streetscape improvements would contribute to the walkability of the area while further supporting active travel by providing over 603 bicycle parking spaces for transit users.