City of Toronto Proposes Repeal of OPA 668 & 680 – Implications for Employment Lands
We would like to bring to your attention an important development regarding the City of Toronto’s employment lands policy. The City has issued a notice of an upcoming Open House (May 1, 6:00 p.m.) and Special Public Meeting (May 8, 9:30 a.m.) concerning a proposed Official Plan Amendment (the “Proposed OPA”) that will revise and update the City’s policies applicable to employment lands. In addition, the Proposed OPA would repeal OPA 668 and 680. OPA 668 and 680 are currently with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval. The Public Notice can be accessed here.
The City originally adopted OPA 668 and 680 to maintain existing Employment Areas by permitting the continuance of commercial uses that were excluded under the revised definitions of “Employment Areas” and “areas of employment” under the Planning Act and Provincial Policy Statement (2024). Although the City’s proposed repeal may signal a shift in the City’s approach to employment area policies, it may also be the case that it would instead reintroduce similar policies through the Proposed OPA. At this time, the full scope and implications of these changes remain unclear.
The City intends to redesignate employment lands in the following areas as further described in the Public Notice:
Consumers Road Business Park;
Don Mills;
Duncan Mills; and
Downsview.
The redesignation of these areas from General Employment to Regeneration means that landowners may no longer need to submit Conversion Requests to change the permitted uses of these lands. This is a significant change as Conversion Requests are not appealable to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). Instead, an owner will be able to proceed with an OPA application, which is subject to rights of appeal. This shift provides developers with greater control and certainty over the conversion process.
The full details of the City's proposed policy changes will be available on April 16, 2025. Our firm will closely monitor this process, attending both the Open House and the Special Public Meeting, and providing further updates as more details emerge.
Given the potential impact of these changes on development opportunities across the City, we encourage all stakeholders to stay informed and engaged. Our team at Overland LLP is prepared to guide you through these critical changes and assess their implications for your projects.
Should you have any questions or require further insight, please contact us.
A link to the City’s Notice can be found here: https://secure.toronto.ca/nm/api/individual/notice/6145.do