1,065-Unit Twin-Tower Project Proposed at 281 Front St E

BRL Realty has filed a rezoning application for a mixed-use development at 281 Front St E in Corktown. The project calls for two towers of 50 and 54 storeys with 1,065 residential units and ground-floor retail, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects. The application (File 26 163623 STE 13 OZ) was submitted May 20, 2026 and is under review.

The towers would rise 163.5 and 175.5 metres, up from an earlier 44- and 46-storey concept. Total GFA is 80,025 m², an FSI of 20.7 on a 3,868 m² lot, with 643 m² of retail space at grade according to the City filing. Tenure (condo or rental) is to be determined by market conditions.

The plan includes a four-level underground garage with 280 spaces (268 resident, 12 visitor) and 1,119 bicycle spaces. Amenities total 2,032 m² indoor and 1,674 m² outdoor, plus a roughly 500 m² POPS and a woonerf laneway.

The site has been vacant since a former City-owned Toronto Public Library building was demolished in 2017. A 2020 plan for a 38.5-metre Equinix data centre expansion was abandoned in favour of residential. The property sits steps from the under-construction Distillery District / Corktown station on the Ontario Line.