65 Rexdale Blvd. has been home to the International Muslim Organization’s (IMO) mosque since 1994. It has been used as and will remain as a place of worship by a large and committed congregation. The City of Toronto is in the midst of a housing crisis. The City has pledged to build 285,000 homes by 2021. The IMO seeks to redevelop their site to construct a new, nine storey residential rental building with approximately 220 rental units, a new publicly accessible park and to rebuild the mosque. Twenty to thirty percent of the units will be affordable pursuant to CMHC guidelines. This site is appropriate for a mixed use development as it is across the street from another multi-residential building and a short walk to community amenities such as Toronto Public Library’s Northern Elms branch, a pharmacy, a bank, and a variety of large-format retail stores. 65 Rexdale Blvd. is also in proximity to properties used for light industrial activity, such as logistics firms, that in other contexts could be viewed as a transition area to mixed use development. This is a request for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to permit a mixed use development. As such, site plan approval would continue to be required to review the proposal against functional servicing, transportation, and other technical compliance requirements. City staff held a pre-application meeting with the proponent’s representatives earlier this year. An MZO would bypass the required City approvals to permit the proposed uses on the site. Requiring site plan approval would allow City staff and the proponent to work collaboratively to identify necessary interventions to meet City requirements, including the necessary noise studies to mitigate from noise generated by Pearson International Airport.
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