2040 Queen East

Expanding the existing
grocery store and
introducing new housing units
in The Beaches.

The Vision

Our vision is to build a larger, modernized grocery store and introduce new housing units to meet the growing needs of the neighbourhood. The expanded grocery store footprint will allow for more selection, improve the overall shopping experience, and provide more employment opportunities on site.

We’re proposing a mid-rise building that complements the existing character of The Beaches: a 6-storey mixed-use building that would include 60 new residential units and 1,140 square metres of retail grocery space.

Photo credit: Erwin Buck Photography

Photo credit: Erwin Buck Photography

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

IMPROVED
GROCERY STORE OFFERINGS

We are expanding the service and offerings of the existing grocery store. The new and expanded grocery store will create an enhanced shopping experience for locals plus more jobs in the community. It will continue to operate under one of the Sobeys Inc. banners.

CREATING A RANGE
OF HOUSING OPTIONS

Our proposal includes a range of 1-3 bedroom units, which will increase the housing options for existing residents in The Beaches who may be looking for an alternative to single-family homes or wanting to downsize, as well as new future community members including young families.

CONSIDERATE
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

The proposed 6-storey midrise building is in keeping with the scale of Queen Street East. Setbacks provide transition towards the street and surrounding neighbourhood, and the design draws on the character of the neighbouring storefronts to create visual interest that is compatible with its surroundings.

THE SITE TODAY

This site is currently occupied by five 2-storey mixed-use row buildings:

2026 Queen Street East
2028 Queen Street East
2030 Queen Street East
2032-2038 Queen Street East
2040 Queen Street East
existing grocery store

THE PROPOSAL

storey
residential
building

0 m²

of retail space

new residential
units

0 m²

of amenity
space

bicycle parking
spaces

residential
car parking
spaces

WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS

Find out about the status of the project, key milestones, and upcoming opportunities to provide feedback.

Photo credit: Erwin Buck Photography

DOCUMENTS & REPORTS

The materials for the first application submission from December 2023 are available below:

Architectural Plans

Block Context Plan

Functional Servicing Report

Heritage Impact Assessment

Landscape Plans

Planning and Urban Design Rationale

Public Consultation Strategy Report

Transportation Impact Study

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is currently on the site?

The existing site includes five 2-storey mixed-use buildings. The current tenants includes a fitness studio, Freshii and a Foodland grocery store.

What is being proposed?

A 6-storey mixed-use building with 60 new residential units. The ground floor will include 1,140 square metres of new retail space for a larger Sobeys Inc. banner grocery store. The new store will be almost 3x larger than the existing store. This proposal aligns with the in-force Queen Street East Toronto Urban Design Guidelines to respect and be compatible with the existing character and scale of Queen Street East.

What banner will the new grocery store be?

The future grocery store will continue to be one of our Sobeys Inc. banners. We are early in the process and do not yet know if it will be the same banner or a different one. We’re looking into the community’s current and future needs, and will provide a banner that best matches those needs. We will share that information when it is available.

Where will I get my groceries while the site is under construction?

Our goal is to keep the Foodland operational for as long as possible, to mitigate disruption to service. Sobeys Inc also offers their grocery home-delivery service, Voilà, which provides discounts for seniors and people with mobility challenges. Residents can now order from an expansive grocery assortment that is delivered, right to their doorstep.

What does this redevelopment mean for current Foodland employees?

As always, we will be working closely with impacted teammates in the coming months to provide support through this transition. We are sincerely grateful for their commitment and dedicated service.

How do you plan on mitigating additional traffic and congestion?

As part of the application, our transportation consultant LEA has prepared a Traffic Impact Study. It can be downloaded for your review from the Documents section of this website. The limited number of car parking spots is intended to capitalize on the walkability and transportation options in the neighbourhood while also mitigating additional strain on the limited existing street parking.

When was the development application submitted to the City of Toronto?

The Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted in December 2023 to the City of Toronto for their review. Once we receive a Notice of Complete Application, City Staff will provide comments on the application, and there will be a City-led Community Consultation Meeting in the future. Notices for this meeting will be mailed directly by the City to surrounding neighbours.

How long will construction take?

We are early in the process. If approved, we anticipate construction will take between 18 and 24 months to complete.

How will you address noise and dust from construction?

If approved, there will be a Construction Management Plan that will adhere to all City of Toronto requirements and by-laws with respect to construction. We’re a long term neighbour, and we want to minimize any impacts on the community. We are happy to further discuss this topic with you, please send us an email at info@2040queeneast.ca.

Will any units be allocated for affordable housing?

Affordable units aren’t required on a site of this size, and none are proposed at this time. The tenure of these units will likely be condominium and will be determined later in the process.

When will there be a community consultation meeting about this proposal?

We anticipate that the City of Toronto will host a community consultation meeting in Fall 2024. Community members that live within a 120 metre radius of the site will receive an invitation from the City of Toronto in the mail. In the meantime, continue to check here for updated information and send us your questions or comments. We welcome your feedback.

Crombie invests in real estate that enriches local communities and enables long-term sustainable growth. As one of the country’s leading owners, operators, and developers of quality real estate, Crombie’s portfolio primarily includes grocery-anchored retail, retail-related industrial, and mixed-used residential properties in Canada’s top urban and suburban markets. Learn more at www.crombie.ca.

Sobeys Inc. is a proud Canadian company, with more than 115 years of experience in the food retail business. As one of only two national grocery retailers in Canada, they serve the food shopping needs of Canadians with approximately 1,600 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods and Lawtons Drugs, as well as more than 350 retail fuel locations.

Sobeys’ five core retail food formats and related businesses are designed to ensure that they have the right offering in the right-sized stores for each individual market they serve – from their full service format to the convenience format, each tailored to satisfy the unique shopping needs of their customers.

We want to hear from you. Share your questions or comments about the proposal and a member of the Project Team will get back to you as soon as possible. You can fill in the website form, or contact us directly at info@2040queeneast.ca.