Cost of Willowdale development soars

Report about delayed housing project recommends councillors approve new $36M price tag

- BEN SPURR, VICTORIA GIBSON

The budget for a Willowdale development on Cummer Avenue, intended to deliver quick and low-cost housing for vulnerable Torontonians, has more than doubled, the Star has learned.

After years of delays and legal challenges, the budget for a Willowdale development intended to deliver quick and low-cost housing for vulnerable Torontonians has more than doubled, the Star has learned.

A report about the city-led supportive housing project at 175 Cummer Ave. that will be debated at the city’s planning committee on Thursday recommends councillors approve the new cost and proceed with the 59-unit project.

The document doesn’t list the final budget. But a confidential attachment, details of which were confirmed by the Star, show that the price tag is expected to shoot up from an earlier estimate of $14.6 million to $36.3 million, an increase of almost $22 million.

The confidential report attributes most of the higher costs to a combination of escalating charges for already planned work as a result of the delays, as well as additional work required because of holdups to zoning approvals. The city hasn’t publicly stated what the extra work is.

The project is expected to be finished in 2025.