About the Neighbourhood
• East Bayfront is a brand new neighbourhood in Toronto. It is currently undergoing a transformation from industrial use to residential and mixed use.
• East Bayfront is part of Waterfront Toronto’s plan to create an urban residential and commercial area by the lake. They plan on mixing public space with profitable private housing and some affordable rentals to create a good sense of community. The neighbourhood will be pedestrian friendly and attract employment and entrepreneurship.
• Waterfront Toronto’s plan is to build 40.000 units which will house an estimated 115,000 people! East Bayfront is a portion of that
• The area is bordered by the Parliament Street to the east, Jarvis Street and the Jarvis Slip to the west, and the rail line and Gardiner Expressway to the north.
• There was a big push to transform the land when Toronto was announced to host the 2015 Pan Am Games.
History
• In 2001 the Waterfront Toronto Public Agency was created in order to revitalize the area. The project there were appointed with was quit large considering much of the soil is contaminated and the cost of building is extremely high. Waterfront Toronto is responsible for revitalizing 2000 acres of waterfront land (and part of that land is East Bayfront). • The Agency was created by all 3 levels of government and because of this it will be able to pursue it’s long term plan which will take 25 years to complete without being derailed by changes in government.
• Waterfront Toronto has used design competitions to design the space in East Bayfront.
• In 2010 Sugar Beach opened. It is located at the base of Jarvis street and features sand, umbrellas and lawn chairs. It is right beside the Red Path sugar factory and that’s why it’s called Sugar Beach. The park was formerly a parking lot.
Homes
• Homes in East Bayfront are for the large part brand new or pre construction condominiums.
• There was a large push to create family homes in the the design of East Bayfront. With the prices of Toronto homes rising so high the many families couldn’t afford the high cost of home ownership. Three and four bedroom condos do exist but are not as popular and the idea behind East Bayfront was to create family homes at a lower price.
Schools
• George Brown College
• Market Lane Junior and Senior Public School
• Downtown Alternative School
Recreational Facilities
• Sugar Beach is currently the main attraction in this area. It’s great for sunbathing and entertaining you kids. Currently it is heavily being used by those living in the St Lawrence neighbourhood and by those in the Distillery District.
• The radio station “The Edge” is located right on the waterfront and live performances are often hosted there. In these situations crowds of people spill out onto Sugar Beach and Sherbourne Commons.
• Sherbourne Commons is very close and has a skating rink in the winter! The park is for the most part open with some artificial wetlands. Outdoor concerts are sometimes held in Sherbourne Commons.
• For now the Guvernment Night Club is located right beside East Bayfront but the building and land are soon to be developed into something different.
• East Bayfront is also just a quick bike ride to the ferry dock where you can spend a lovely relaxing day on the Toronto Islands.
