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:
Contact:
Amanda Panacci
Account Director, Media Profile
E: Amanda.Panacci@mediaprofile.com
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 |
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Process (past and future) |
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Overall impressions |
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Future retail and services |
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Parking and mobility |
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Community benefits |
Many of the thoughts shared and questions asked were related to the community benefits pillars of the proposal.
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Implementation |
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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:
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.
THEME | FEEDBACK |
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Building design |
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Density |
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Community input |
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Change and gentrification |
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Local benefit |
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Parks and open spaces |
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Gathering spaces |
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Safety and accessibility |
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Active transport |
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Current and future retail, and phasing of the Mall |
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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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
The full jfm+ Project Team was joined by Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Tom Rakocevic, 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 the Community Engagement Team, included a welcome and introductions to the larger jfm+ Project Team, site and planning policy context, details on the planning and engagement process, a Q&A period, breakout rooms for smaller group discussions and a final recap.
Watch the recording or keep scrolling for additional resources, and a list of key themes including specific community feedback.
THEME | FEEDBACK |
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The Mall is an important space for people to gather and connect |
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Community spaces and services are important |
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Ensure that change brings physical improvements and greening to the community |
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Jobs and economic opportunities are important for the community to grow and thrive |
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Community members would like to see their history, heritage, culture, and diversity incorporated, reflected and honoured |
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People were hopeful about the future of the Site but also had concerns (gentrification, affordability, safety, construction/traffic, Mall as an ally) |
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People want to continue to have a voice and be engaged about the future of the Mall site |
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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.
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 our Community Engagement and Outreach, focused on listening.
Round 2 of our Community Engagement and Outreach was designed to reflect upon what was heard and continue digging deeper. From October 4, 2021 to December 4, 2021, this eight-week engagement period focused on making sure we accurately understood what the community had told us, confirming key themes and insights gathered in Round 1 and reflecting these back to community members and organizations, while continuing to gather more information.
The confirmation and exploration of these key themes will provide guidance to the project team on community issues and priorities for the redevelopment process.
Our engagement team of nearly a dozen members, all of whom have deep roots in our community, and are passionate about our neighbourhood's future used a range of platforms to connect with over 600 community members. This included:
In summary, our Round 1 and Round 2 Community Engagement and Outreach efforts have provided a solid introduction to the process of planning improvements to the Site for community members. Key themes, issues, and priorities have been identified through the consultations that will serve as the starting point for the planning process.
There is a strong desire and willingness from individual Jane and Finch community members, as well as agencies and organizations, to continue to be engaged and help shape the future of the Site. Notwithstanding some concerns about the impacts of development, there is a clear sense of hope and optimism about the project.
We will continue our commitment to inclusive engagement processes and ongoing and open communication that shows residents that they are heard, and concrete outcomes that show their input had an impact. Stay informed about future engagement and outreach updates on our News & Events page. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications as news, events and other content are added to our site.
We are working with tenants, neighbours, and the larger community to develop a shared vision for how the Jane Finch Mall site can grow and change while continuing to play an important role in our neighbourhood.
The first step toward developing this understanding was Round 1 of our Community Engagement and Outreach, facilitated by our team of nearly a dozen members, all of whom have deep roots in our community, and are passionate about this neighbourhood's future. This phase, which was conducted over approximately four weeks during summer 2021, revolved around listening. It was designed to gather insight into our community's priorities and values, and subsequently reflect them back to the community for confirmation of key themes that can serve as the basis for redevelopment principles.
The community engagement team connected with individual residents, community groups, agencies and key community leaders.
In total, the engagement team gathered feedback from 329 residents as well as 30-35 community leaders and activists connected with 18 community-based organizations and networks.
What people like about the Mall:
What people see as the Mall's role in the community now:
Jane and Finch residents have a strong attachment to their community. Including:
What people hope for in the future:
What people worry about for the future:
What people see as the future role for the Mall in the community:
What matters most about the jfm+ planning process:
Jane and Finch community members are interested in ongoing participation in the jfm+ process, and are interested in playing active roles in connecting the process to the community, though often with the caveat that they needed to see clear, concrete commitments to community goals as part of that arrangement. Many are eager to see concrete plans and are looking forward to moving into the next phases of engagement.
Our engagement continued throughout 2021, and you can read more about it in future posts.
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 news, events and other content are added to our site.