What's next for proposed Kensington Market Walmart site?
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| The Kromer Radio site on Bathurst Street |
Big-Box developer RioCan had proposed a three-storey retail
complex (with Walmart as the anchor tenant) on the former Kromer Radio site at 401-446
Bathurst Street. Kromer Radio closed in 2012 after
55 years in business leaving a prime patch of real estate close to both
Kensington Market and Little Italy.
The proposed
complex would house up to 10 retailers with small format shops on the ground
level, and Walmart occupying the second and third floors. The site which is
currently zoned as Mixed Use Commercial Retail allows it to be used for retail
use. RioCan has stated that its proposed development is near but not in
Kengsinton Market and would offer a different mix of retailers than is
currently found in the area.
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| RioCan's proposed retail complex |
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| Rendering of proposed development at 401-446 Bathurst Street |
"We believe
our proposal to build a three-storey urban-format retail centre will be a
significant improvement to the current site. At the same time, we remain
considerate and respectful of the needs of local communities." Said RioCan
via a website they launched asking for public input. RioCan's urban properties
include the RioCan Shoppes at Queen and Portland (which houses Winners and
Loblaws) and the Stockyards currently under construction on St. Clair Avenue.
Not surprisingly the proposal has stirred local residents who
fear the impact a large retailer would have on a neighbourhood defined mostly
by small stores and independent retailers. Friends of Kensington Market have
set up an online petition aiming to stop RioCan's development plans.
"Riocan’s application for re-zoning is part of a
disturbing trend in our city," Says the online petition page. "If the
communities around Bathurst and
College win this fight against Riocan we will have set a precedent that could
empower other neighbourhoods in Toronto
to face down developers in the future. It's a battle we can't afford to lose."
The group also has an online petition against a proposed Loblaws on College
Street (in far closer proximity to Kensington
Market than the Kromer Radio site) which hasn't garnered the same level of
support.
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| Location of proposed development |
Local City Councillor Adam Vaughan has been a vocal opponent
of the project and in July City Council passed a bylaw which blocks big-box
retail in the area for a year as the city completes further study. RioCan has
now appealed that decision to the Ontario Municipal Board. The OMB is an often
controversial unelected body to whom planning and development decisions can be
appealed.
[Renderings via RioCan]
