With the arrival of the Finch West LRT, our community will be growing and changing in new ways, including new development. In response, Jane Finch Mall created jfm+ a visioning and engagement process to plan for the future of the Site, exploring changes that include a mix of housing, retail, and community amenities.
We've always worked hard to grow with the changes in our neighbourhood and support our community's needs by investing in a range of improvements, including community events, as well as new shops and services. While Jane Finch Mall will evolve, that commitment isn't changing.
We launched jfm as a visioning and engagement process to plan for the future of the Site. The engagement team included: the long-term owners of Jane Finch Mall; a community engagement team with deep roots in the Jane Finch community, who are passionate about our neighbourhood's future; and a planning and design team dedicated to reflecting the shared vision of our community in the plan for the Site.
We have been working with Jane Finch Mall tenants, neighbours, and our larger community to develop a shared vision for how the Site can continue to play an important role in our neighbourhood.
Any changes introduced will build on the ways that Jane Finch Mall supports our community today.
We know Jane Finch Mall sits at the crossroads of our community. Our plan will maintain the Site as a community anchor, be transit-supportive, while providing a mix of new uses, including new housing, shops, community amenities, parks and open spaces.
After connecting with more than 2,000 community members through one-on-one conversations, walking tours, working sessions, two community-wide virtual community events and Open Doors sessions, a wide range of themes emerged:
Stay up to date on what we've heard from our community members so far and what comes next on our News & Events page.
After two and a half years of public engagement, we submitted an application to the City, which has now been approved. Visit our News & Events page to stay informed about what comes next.
The jfm+ process resulted in a Proposal for incremental change on the Site to introduce:
Learn more about what has been proposed here.
Much of the Mall will remain operational for approximately the next 15 years during the plan's first major phase, which will only have impacts on a small portion of the Mall in the northeast part of the Site.
Any changes coming to the Site will build on the ways that Jane Finch Mall supports the community today, including offering places to shop and gather, as well as new amenities and homes.
As a result of continued city-wide growth, new neighbourhood investments and the introduction of the Finch West LRT, our neighbourhood (like many others in the city) is evolving in new ways, including new development.
This process began with conversations with tenants and neighbours. Since beginning engagement in 2020, we have connected with more than 2,000 Jane Finch community members through one-on-one conversations, walking tours, working sessions, two community-wide virtual events and Open Doors sessions to develop a shared vision for how the Site can continue to play an important role in our neighbourhood. Additionally, a project website and full social media platform provided for online communication.
Throughout our conversations, a wide range of themes about Jane Finch Mall and desires for the future of the Site have emerged. Based on the community’s input, we developed a series of principles to inform the creation of a Proposal for long-term changes on the Site. The Proposal includes a set of community benefits that will be delivered over time.
We know our future is going to look different, so we’ve submitted this Proposal as an application to the City that plans for how the Jane Finch Mall Site will evolve to better serve our community.
We'll work with the community throughout the process to move forward together, incorporating key public policy priorities and the interests of the Mall owners.
The filing of our application does not signify the crossing of the finish line, but instead should be thought of as a key milestone in our planning and redevelopment journey.
As things progress over the coming years, we will continue to engage with and update our community, through meetings, activities at the Community Engagement Space at Jane Finch Mall, events, jfmplus.ca and our jfm+ social channels.
Jane Finch Mall has a very long, vibrant history in the Jane Finch area since opening in 1968. We know the community makes the shopping centre, and we’ve always worked hard to grow and evolve with this neighbourhood and support our community’s needs by investing in a range of improvements, including community events as well as new shops and services.
While Jane Finch Mall will evolve, this commitment isn’t changing. We have been working with our community to develop a shared vision for how the Site can continue to play an important role in our neighbourhood. We have submitted an application to the City that plans for the future of the Jane Finch Mall Site and reflects what we heard from the community.
Feedback from the community has helped shape many elements of the plan, including the location and orientation of the community plaza, the character and mix of uses across the site and the approach to the conceptual design of buildings and open spaces.
The jfm+ vision for community benefits builds on the long history of the Jane Finch community, the Mall itself, its neighbours, and detailed, years-long work undertaken by local groups. The strategy looks to ensure the benefits of redevelopment on the Mall Site also flow to local residents.
We have been in active discussions with the City to coordinate and find alignment between this process and the Jane-Finch Initiative.
We are aware of several community benefits initiatives here in the Jane Finch neighbourhood and across the city, including the City’s "Draft Community Development Plan: Principles and Actions" through the Jane Finch Initiative. We are reviewing and learning from these initiatives.
We are monitoring development activity in the area, including the Jane Finch Community Hub & Centre for the Arts development, to learn from that process and ensure the outcomes on the Mall Site can complement what happens with the Community Hub.
We are actively engaging with grassroots community groups, organizations and various network tables including the City’s Jane-Finch Initiative’s Community Advisory Committee.
Our first priority throughout the planning process has been to hear from our community and learn more about their needs. Since beginning engagement in 2020s, we have connected with more than 2,000 Jane Finch community members through one-on-one conversations, walking tours, working sessions, community-wide virtual events and Open Doors sessions to develop a shared vision for how the Site can continue to play an important role in our neighbourhood.
The jfm+ process resulted in a proposal for incremental change on the Site to introduce:
Much of the Mall will remain operational for approximately the next 15 years during the plan’s first major phase, and some parts of the Mall will continue to remain, even as changes occur on other parts of the Site in the future.
The filing of our application and concept plan isn’t meant to signify a crossing of the finish line, but instead a key milestone in our planning and redevelopment journey. Opportunities for community input will continue to be possible at each stage of the planning and development process.
We’re not making any changes right away. The Proposal calls for a phased development process that will unfold over the next several decades. The plan will deliver on long-term, incremental change that benefits and reflects what we heard from the Jane Finch community and supports City of Toronto public policy for the neighbourhood.
The plan proposes early development occurring along Finch Ave. Much of the Mall will remain operational for approximately the next 15 years during the plan’s first major phase.
Our first priority throughout this ideation and planning process has been to hear from our community and learn more about their needs. Since beginning engagement in 2020, we have connected with more than 2,000 Jane Finch community members through one-on-one conversations, walking tours, working sessions, community-wide virtual events and Open Doors sessions to develop a shared vision for how the Site can continue to play an important role in our neighbourhood.
This is a long process, and we’ll keep our community informed and updated every step of the way.
Existing tenants are at the core of this process, and retail uses will always be an integral element of the Site.
Much of the Mall will remain operational for approximately the next 15 years during the plan’s first major phase. Our emerging framework explores a plan for development of the Site over several decades.
Existing tenants will not be impacted in the short term or all at once, and any impacts would be through a phased approach as portions of the Site are updated over many years.
This work is a natural extension of the investment made in the Mall to-date. We are continuing to evolve to meet the changing needs of our community.
Tenants have been engaged throughout this process so we could better understand their needs and ensure that plans create spaces that are supportive of local retailers.
Our tenant-focused engagement activity has included meetings at key stages throughout the process and maintaining open lines of communication between existing tenants and owners day-to-day via Jane Finch Mall management staff.
With the arrival of the Finch West LRT, we know that changes are coming to the neighbourhood and that our community has concerns regarding how growth and development will affect the community, both now and in the future.
We recognize our community’s concerns, and the importance of maintaining the role of the Site within the community.
Our first priority throughout the planning process has been to hear from our community and learn more about their needs. Since beginning engagement in 2020, we have connected with more than 2,000 Jane Finch community members through one-on-one conversations, walking tours, working sessions, community-wide virtual events and Open Doors sessions to develop a shared vision for how the Site can continue to play an important role in our neighbourhood.
We know our neighbourhood is special, and maintaining its character is critical. We’re not making any changes right away. The jfm+ concept plan proposes a multi-phased development process that will unfold over several decades.
We have heard that affordable housing options are important to the community, and we’re committed to providing a spectrum of affordable housing options on the future Site.
The development of the Site may be subject to a range of City policies and regulations regarding affordability, including inclusionary zoning.
We will continue to explore opportunities for a range of affordable housing options on-site throughout the development processes. We look forward to working with all levels of government, nonprofits and other partners to determine the specifics, as we progress through the planning and redevelopment process.
We’ve heard from Jane-Finch residents that affordable housing is a major neighbourhood priority. Our initial application proposes that at least 50% of the affordable housing delivered on the Site should be set aside for a local resident application lottery, which is not typically the case in Toronto. We will work with the City of Toronto on this proposed approach.
The total number of affordable units has not been determined, and the extent of affordable housing will be heavily dependent on our ability to partner with various levels of government.
The team is committed to seeking opportunities to expand affordable options and work with all levels of government, nonprofits and other partners to determine the specifics as we progress through the planning and redevelopment process.
It’s too early to determine the exact distribution of condos and rental units on the Site. As the development process progresses and developer partners are chosen, we’ll be able to establish the mix of residential units.
We’re committed to providing a range of housing types, including both rental and ownership options, to accommodate diverse income levels.
It is a priority that new development on the Jane Finch Mall Site delivers new community benefits on Site.
After years of engagement with the local community, we’ve taken what we heard and identified five community benefit pillars that our Proposal will deliver on. We’ve committed to ensuring the future Site supports:
Other benefits are being explored as the development Proposal takes shape through our extensive community engagement process, but the final method for outlining and securing these benefits is yet to be determined.
Development on the Site will be subject to a community benefits charge (CBC), which will be determined based on City regulations. The CBC charge may either be paid to the City, or may be delivered in on-site benefits through the proposed development, such as some of the components of community benefits outlined as part of the Proposal. The charge is intended to support a range of community services and amenities. The CBC charge is in addition to any affordable housing that may be required through inclusionary zoning, and in addition to requirements for new parks on the Site.
We have heard that community programming in new open space is important to build a sense of ownership and belonging.
The jfm+ Proposal includes over 5,000 square feet of dedicated indoor community space, which will be stewarded by the community, with adjacent programmable outdoor plaza space for events and programming. There will also be current and future opportunities for interim space in the Mall for community organizations.
The plan also calls for approximately two acres of land along Driftwood Ave. on either side of the proposed east-west street and generous streetscape to support spill-out spaces for retail shops.
The plan ensures that new indoor and outdoor community spaces are located, designed and scaled to address important community priorities.
You can connect with us through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. Keep an eye on our social channels for opportunities to participate at upcoming events.
You can also fill out the form above to let us know how you prefer to participate in the conversation, and be kept up to date on the future of Jane Finch Mall.
For Mall tenants, we will continue to discuss the process at regular tenant meetings to keep everyone up to date.