Toronto, ON (September 5, 2023) - Brad-Jay Investments Ltd., the owner and operator of Jane Finch Mall since 1968, has submitted a development application with the City of Toronto for its plans for the long-term future of the Jane Finch Mall site.

The application comes after nearly three years of community engagement and includes a mix of new uses for current and future residents, including a commitment to new affordable and attainable housing, retail shops, community amenities, parks and open spaces. The plan enables the Jane Finch Mall to remain operational for approximately the next 10 years, even as changes occur in other parts of the site.

“With the arrival of the Finch West LRT, the community will be growing and changing in new ways, including through new development,” says Jay Feldman, CEO of Brad-Jay Investments Ltd. “We’ve been a part of the Jane Finch community for over 50 years. We know our neighbourhood is special and maintaining its spirit and character is critical. Our plan preserves and reinforces what’s important to the people who live here – like maintaining the Mall as a community anchor on the site in the near-term and ensuring future public space is near the Jane-Finch intersection – while bringing incremental growth and exciting new benefits to our community.”

Input from the Jane Finch community, following extensive local engagement, helped define key elements of the application. In 2021, the Jane Finch Mall property owners launched the jfm+ engagement and visioning process, so that the owners, Mall tenants and the local community could develop a shared vision for how the future site can continue to play an important role in the neighbourhood. Since then, the community engagement team, consisting of local community members, connected with more than 2,000 Jane Finch residents through one-on-one conversations, walking tours, working sessions, two community-wide virtual events and Open Doors sessions in the jfm+ Community Engagement Space located within the Mall.

Based on the community’s input, the jfm+ design and planning team identified priority areas for community benefits that the future Site will deliver on, including:

• Affordable Living: offering affordable and attainable housing options and not-for-profit childcare.
• Community-stewarded space: including indoor community space and outdoor community plaza for gathering and community activities.
• Local entrepreneurship: offering affordable commercial space for local businesses (e.g., small-scale and micro-retail opportunities), alongside a supportive retail leasing strategy.
• Long-term economic & cultural opportunities: creating jobs, learning, and cultural opportunities for local residents and communities during construction and after completion, including local hiring and the delivery of public art.
• Investing in local capacity: creating a fund to support community capacity building and research initiatives, including knowledge gathering, knowledge mobilizing, planning and community readiness for long term stewardship (management/operations) of community spaces.

Contact:

Amanda Panacci

Account Director, Media Profile

E: Amanda.Panacci@mediaprofile.com

P: (647) 500 5752

Over the course of more than two years, the jfm+ process has engaged more than 2,000 community members in conversations about the future of the Mall Site. All of those conversations have fed into developing a Proposal to secure a long-term framework for change within the City’s policy and regulatory framework in this final phase of the pre-application process. A final stakeholder session and Open Doors event was held prior to the submission of the application to the City of Toronto to present this Proposal for feedback and to answer any questions that folks may have about the Proposal itself or the process moving forward. A presentation was also made to the Jane Finch Initiative’s Community Advisory Committee with the same information and intent.

While the purpose of these events was to get information out to the community on the submission, feedback was recorded and will be accounted for to the extent possible within future processes and revisions that may be made to the Proposal throughout the City’s application process.

The following table presents a summary of what we heard.

THEME	FEEDBACK
Process (past and future)	Many reiterated thanks to the whole project team, including the community animators, for this process and appreciated the amount of effort the Mall Owners have put into this project and process: “It has the Jane Finch stamp on it with respect to issues and concerns discussed and valid conversations.” “Wonderful work. I want to thank the Owners who have shepherded and been open to having this process.” People were comforted by assurance that the Mall Owners have intentions to remain involved in the evolution of the Site There were concerns that future partners may not hold the same aspirations for the Site and won’t have connections to the community There were desires to keep the spirit of this process alive for all future developments in the neighbourhood
Overall impressions	Many were encouraged and enthused by the Proposal that was presented: “Looks amazing!” “Excited, new opportunities” Some were skeptical that the Proposal may not be implemented as described but hoped that it would: “Looks beautiful, but could be too good to be true.” Some of the tallest heights continued to be a concern for some One person noted that there are generational differences amongst the community. Speaking from the perspective of a person from the younger generation, they felt those in their generation may be more hesitant to change because they are worried about how it may alter the cultural and social fabric of the community There were some comments about the Proposal itself, including: Retail: Like the “Ground level stores and activities” Shadowing: “Where is the sun?” Landscaping: “Plant fruit trees,” “Green roofs should have gardens to help with food security” Accessibility: “It should be designed for easy accessibility for seniors.”
Future retail and services	Future retail, services, and businesses on the Site should be reflective of all community members and continue to allow for opportunities for small businesses: “What or who controls the number of retail spaces that are “mom and pop shops” versus name brand / franchise / big box stores?” The community and tenants were curious to know how much the retail space would shrink by in the short and long term and if there would be spaces for existing tenants in the new retail spaces: “How do we ensure that existing small businesses on the Site can continue to thrive as new development takes place?” "Will there be office space for medical services?" Many were happy that the Mall would remain in an interim condition within the short-term timeframe and wanted to know more about how that would work and what the Mall would be like in those phases: “Will the Mall / Site keep its namesake and branding?”
Parking and mobility	There were questions about how vehicular congestion would be mitigated given the number of buildings and stores planned for the Site There were also questions about parking for the residential and retail uses, including: Whether parking would be above or below-grade; if it would cost to park there as a visitor; and, how much of it would be available at each stage and phase of development.
Community benefits	Many of the thoughts shared and questions asked were related to the community benefits pillars of the proposal. Comments included: Support for the community space and potential co-working space Desire for more affordable housing (incl. family-sized units) Support for prioritizing local residents in future housing opportunities on the Site (affordable and market) Encouragement to set targets for small businesses / local economic development commitments to ensure monitoring and accountability Questions included: “Who is going to fund this?” “Is any of the small business support looking at existing retailers and how they transition?” “Will there be investment in start-ups and providing access to funding for micro-retail spaces?” “How are members of the various committees selected?” “Will rents be accessible for the existing community?”
Implementation	Overall, people were really happy with the process and had respect for it. Their concerns were about implementation, ensuring that the project happens as planned: Happy with ideas, worried about details and being promised things that can’t be delivered Also worried that future engagement processes will not be as thoughtful as this one Some were concerned about the impact that construction of each phase of development will have on the community, especially around the intersection: “Will there be breaks in construction?” There was an interest to know more about construction management plans for the long-term build out

Stay tuned for future updates on our News & Events page, including further details on the application. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications as events, news and other content are added to our site.

As we continue to plan for the future of the Jane Finch Mall site, we have learned a lot from community members about their priorities for the future of the Site through the jfm+ community engagement process.

The first step toward developing a shared vision for how the Jane Finch Mall Site can continue to play an important role in our neighbourhood was Round 1 of Community Engagement and Outreach, in 2021, which focused on listening. Round 2 of Community Engagement and Outreach, in early 2022, was designed to reflect upon what we heard and continue to explore these ideas further. Round 3, in late 2022, built upon the first two rounds of engagement to present a vision and an emerging framework for the Site. We made a point of showing clearly how these plans and ideas connect to community input gathered through the process, and, of course, invited additional feedback and discussion on the initial ideas and emerging framework with community members.

Our first virtual community event took place in December 2021, followed by our second virtual event on the evening of July 13, 2022. You can watch the recordings, view additional resources and a list of key themes including specific community feedback from those events here:

• jfm+ Virtual Community Event #1
• jfm+ Community Event #2: A Framework for Change

We've held four additional stakeholder workshops since the nine we held in the summer of 2022. These four workshops included 98 participants and our February Open Door sessions were attended by about one hundred community members. We've had lively discussions in our jfm+ Community Engagement Space, and also held three drop-in Open Doors events in February 2023 to discuss what new buildings, streets and open spaces could look and feel like. By now we've had almost 2,000 conversations with local residents and community members, and we’re excited about applying that to help shape our initial design proposal.

 

Here’s what we heard:

 

THEME	FEEDBACK
Building design	There were many positive responses to the design, calling it new and fresh and exciting. Residents consistently responded most positively to articulated, varied facades with colour that is dynamic and engaging. Residents felt that more colourful facades created more opportunities to express the culture of Jane Finch. Continuous, undifferentiated facades generated negative responses. Residents spoke of modern, chic, bright, stylish buildings, with colourful, cool, unique designs. Some felt that Jane Finch artists could make valuable contributions to design. Some felt that good building design could contribute to making Jane Finch a desirable destination. There was considerable enthusiasm for outdoor space. There were frequent mentions of the need for multi-bedroom apartments.
Density	There were a wide range of questions about height and density. Many were surprised by the height of buildings. Questions were raised about ensuring that social and physical infrastructure to cope with the large increase in population. Residents expressed preferences for variations of heights. Some felt the heights were not consistent with existing buildings. Participants wondered how this impacts the community when taken in the context of other new development.
Community input	Residents repeatedly expressed enthusiasm about the outreach and engagement work. Some noted that consultation is not the same as community voice, and underscored a need for ongoing work to keep the community engaged over the multi-decade rollout of the project. There were a range of questions about how community governance could work to ensure long-term adherence to community priorities, even as community circumstances change. People sought more detail on how future engagement would take place, with a clear preference for outreach models that go out to where people are rather than asking them to come in.
Change and gentrification	Many residents expressed enthusiasm about change, seeing possibility in new investments. They saw the new plan as bold and exciting, with a host of potential benefits. They saw new jobs, physical improvements, and a “face lift” for the area. Others were hesitant about change, seeing risk outweighing the up sides. There were concerns expressed about gentrification. Many questioned how new investments would benefit current residents. There was concern that new homes would not be affordable for current residents and also that the improvements in the area would drive up rents on existing units. There were many questions about the volume of affordable housing to be included in the project and about the depth of affordability for those units.
Local benefit	There were inquiries as to whether current residents would benefit from change and investment. People wanted programs that help people now. There was a desire for jobs in all aspects of the development, from employment in white collar jobs in the planning phase through to skills development in construction, co-op placements, as well as post-development retail and management positions. Residents sought economic development opportunities for entrepreneurial efforts and expressed interest in access to the proposed market and retail space. Residents were eager to see benefits, from jobs to affordable homes, for current local residents. Residents also wanted to see local artists engaged in design of public spaces.
Parks and open spaces	Bright, active, animated parks and plazas were favoured over purely aesthetic open spaces. People liked unusual, chic, modern spaces that had character and felt like “a destination”. Residents tended to like articulated spaces with benches, banners, and umbrellas that gave a sense of place. Parks were seen as high-use spaces that were alive with gatherings, BBQs, skating, social activity, water parks, performances spaces, playgrounds, and seating areas (including heated benches). Respondents tended to gravitate toward lower-intensity social/recreational opportunities, rather than sports fields, though some had an interest in the latter. People wanted comfortable spaces with benches and shade. Residents underscored the importance of these spaces being accessible to all and welcoming residents to gather, engage, and socialize without the need for city permits. There was enthusiasm for gardens and farming in local parks, as well as including native plants in parks. There was some interest in multi-purpose green roofs that could accommodate active programming, such as sports fields and gardens.
Gathering spaces	Residents favoured outdoor spaces that included gathering space. Residents were eager to see gathering spaces included in the new development because the current Mall is an important site for social engagement. Some mentioned the importance of access to spaces like cafes, hubs, and community spaces where residents could meet, relax, and study. People also wanted to see outdoor gathering spaces that were inviting—including places with seating, tables, and chess boards.
Safety and accessibility	Residents talked about the importance of lighting and sight lines as tools for achieving safety. Some residents sought clear commitments to accessibility and senior-friendly environments.
Active transport	There was enthusiasm for walkable, bikeable spaces. Residents tended to prefer examples of transport designs that showed buffers between traffic and pedestrians on active streets. People favoured animated, active streets with robust street life, outdoor seating, local markets, and cafes.
Current and future retail, and phasing of the Mall	People were pleased to see the Mall is intended to be retained for an extended period. The Mall was seen as a critical source of retail goods but also of social space. There were concerns that the Mall might be less accessible when there are buildings cutting it off from Finch. Residents were eager to see attention to issues of safety and visibility, like sight lines. While residents were pleased to see new retail in the plans to offset the loss of the Mall, some felt that ground floor retail was not the same as a Mall, especially with residents living above it and potentially resenting community use of that space. The creation of new retail space in the new development was valued, but there was concern that existing retailers would not be able to afford the rent on new stores. The idea of small-scale, affordable retail offset some of the concerns about the loss of existing retailers, but there were a number of questions about how that would work and how low-cost space would be allocated.

Stay tuned for future engagement and updates on our News & Events page. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications as events, news and other content are added to our site.

We are continuing to plan for the future of the Jane Finch Mall site. Over the last two years, we’ve learned a lot from community members about their priorities for the future of the Site through the jfm+ community engagement process. Our draft Concept Plan begins to imagine:​

• The location of new buildings;​
• The number of new buildings on the Mall site, and how tall they may be;​
• The broad mix of uses (e.g., new homes, shops, community space, parks and other open spaces) and programming opportunities; and​
• The design of new streets, sidewalks and open spaces.

​ ​

We invite you to drop by the jfm+ Community Engagement Space, directly across from Shoppers Drug Mart at the Mall, on the following dates to discuss what new buildings, streets and open spaces could look and feel like:

• Thursday, February 2 between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Friday, February 3 between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, February 4 between 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

These are drop-in events, so you do not need to arrive at the start time or stay for the full duration unless you so choose. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

In advance of your attendance, you may be interested in learning more about what we’ve done to date by visiting our News & Events page. Our inaugural virtual community event took place in December 2021, followed by our second virtual event on the evening of July 13, 2022. You can watch the recordings, view additional resources and a list of key themes including specific community feedback from those events here:

• jfm+ Virtual Community Event #1
• jfm+ Community Event #2: A Framework for Change

 

Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications as events, news and other content are added to our site.

The first step toward developing a shared vision for how the Jane Finch Mall Site can continue to play an important role in our neighbourhood was Round 1 of Community Engagement and Outreach, which focused on listening. Round 2 of Community Engagement and Outreach was designed to reflect upon what we heard and continue to explore these ideas further

Through these rounds of engagement, seven key themes emerged that were used to create principles to guide the process ahead and ensure the emerging plans reflect community priorities. Our commitment is to ensure that change and growth at the Site reflect these principles:

• A place of connection that brings people together.
• A community anchor that supports people's needs.
• A centre for opportunity and local economic development.
• A vibrant community that makes the most of opportunities on the Site.
• An inclusive place that reflects the community and supports people of all ages, incomes, backgrounds and abilities.
• A green and environmentally friendly place that supports connections to nature.
• An inclusive and responsive process that supports community involvement in shaping the neighbourhood

With these principles in mind, our project team has developed some initial ideas for the Site. These ideas begin to organize future development around new streets, blocks, open spaces, and emerging programming activities. The engagement strategy for Round 3 was designed to build on the first two rounds of engagement, to:

• Share the vision and emerging framework ideas for the Site,
• Demonstrate how these ideas connect to community input gathered through the process to date, and
• Invite in-depth exploration and discussion of the initial ideas and emerging framework with community members.

Here's How it Happened

The emerging ideas for the Site were explored over a three-week period in June 2022 with nine in-person small group discussions at the storefront in the Mall, one online session and an in- person meeting with Mall tenants.

An open discussion format allowed community members to share feedback with a diversity of views and opinions about the emerging framework ideas, as well as community priorities. Participants also had the option to share input on a written feedback sheet, and a Frequently Asked Questions information page was circulated to assist in responding to questions that arose.

At the conclusion of the group discussions, an online community wide event was held on July 13th to provide community members an opportunity to share feedback and input on the initial ideas for the Site. Over 200 people participated in Round 3, which included discussions in four languages.

What We Heard

An overall summary of feedback emerging from these discussions, in relation to themes within the emerging framework, is provided here.

In Summary, our project team has connected with over 1,200 community members through a variety of engagement platforms to-date. A grassroots-based engagement strategy connecting directly with community members, resident leaders, and an ongoing presence in the Mall storefront space has provided a solid introduction to the process for community members, identified key themes and priorities and shaped the principles to guide the planning and development process.

As we continue the process, we will maintain an online presence to complement and extend our in-person activities. Our social media engagement will continue across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Regular updates and in-depth information sharing will be provided via our website jfmplus.ca, along with opportunities to engage virtually. Relevant news and updates will be shared using our email list of 300+ community subscribers. We invite you to sign up for that list on our homepage.

Community members have expressed appreciation for the open and inclusive approach being taken. Some who initially expressed reservations have become increasingly engaged, have joined in as active partners in the process, hosting consultation events, directing members of their network to the Mall space, and being increasingly present and positive in their interactions. Elected officials have echoed the community's appreciation for this approach.

As we move forward with the planning process, having such candid and thoughtful community input will only make the project better. The commitment to continue to engage is building confidence in the community that the project is taking the neighbourhood into account.

Stay tuned for future engagement and outreach updates on our News & Events page. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications as events, news and other content are added to our site.

On the evening of July 13, 2022, we were pleased to host our second virtual event, open to the public, to discuss the future of the Jane Finch Mall site and our community.

The jfm+ Project Team was joined by Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Tom Rakocevic, Member of Parliament (MP) Judy Sgro, Toronto City Councillor Anthony Perruzza, City of Toronto staff from the Jane Finch Initiative, community leaders and activists, and other members of our Jane Finch neighbourhood who shared their hopes for the future. The meeting, which was hosted by our Community Engagement Team, included:

• A brief summary of the engagement and what we've heard to date from over 1,000 of our community members
• An outline for a series of draft principles to guide the plan
• A description for a series of key organizing features to shape the plan
• The presentation of several options within the key organizing features to understand community preferences
• A Q&A period
• Breakout rooms for smaller group discussions
• A final recap

Watch the recording or keep scrolling for additional resources.

In case you missed it, we hosted our inaugural virtual community event in December 2021. You can watch the recording, view additional resources and a list of key themes including specific community feedback from that event here: jfm+ Virtual Community Event #1 (December 14, 2021)

Stay tuned for future engagement and outreach updates on our News & Events page. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications as events, news and other content are added to our site.

In December 2021, we were proud to host our inaugural virtual event, open to the public, to discuss the future of the Jane Finch Mall site and our community. You can watch the recording, view additional resources and a list of key themes including specific community feedback from that event here: jfm+ Virtual Community Event #1 (December 14, 2021)

We're pleased to be hosting our second virtual community event in July, and you're invited!

jfm+ Community Event #2: A Framework for Change

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

6:00 p.m.

 

The purpose of this event is to:

• Provide a brief summary of the engagement and what we've heard to date from over 1,000 of our community members
• Outline a series of draft principles to guide the plan
• Describe a series of key organizing features to shape the plan
• Present several options within the key organizing features to understand community preferences
• Hear more of your ideas and feedback

 

Sign up for the virtual event below, or:

Call in: 647-558-0588, Meeting ID: 825 3980 0700

Stream live: Facebook

   

Stay tuned for future engagement and outreach updates on our News & Events page. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications as events, news and other content are added to our site.