Isabella Apartments

This 14-storey apartment building located at 88 Isabella Street has stood proudly since its erection in 1961. Sadly, it will not be around for much longer. The process started in April 2022, when an application was submitted to the City of Toronto to rezone the land in favor of a proposed 62-storey residential building. The party facilitating the proposal was Capital Developments, a well-known developer around the Toronto area, having multiple projects completed with more on the way.

The project moved along smoothly, and June 2023 marked the beginning of the end for 88 Isabella. The residential demolition was approved by the City Council, with only minor setbacks and variations to be tweaked. The approval of the Council did not sit well with the residents of the apartment. All 82 tenants unanimously voted against the development proposal and eviction, with the apartment’s Tenants Association voicing its concerns to their local member of parliament. The financial burden, the difficulty placed on the elderly and families with young children, and the construction timeline were all focal points when discussing the objections regarding the eviction. The province has put certain protections towards tenants in the case of eviction, with Chapter 667 of the municipal code mandating assistance for tenant relocation and the right-to-return once the replacement building has been completed. However, we have seen time and time again that this is not enough. With affordable housing being at an all-time low, many Torontonians are far from being in the position to leave their residency, with the obscure promise of a replacement building being years down the road. Although the City’s relocation assistance does provide financial aid for the tenants, it doesn’t nearly cover the cost of relocation, not to mention the mental load it takes on each resident.

Despite everything, there was going to be only one ending to this story. All 82 tenants received their written 6-month eviction notice in Spring 2024, and all units were emptied by October. The building now sits empty, counting down the days until demolition.

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