One key way to help assuage housing prices in the GTA and Canada at large is, of course, to build more homes as soon as possible amid the textbook demand shock that our rapid population growth has spurred. 

But, in places like Toronto, it can seem futile to hope that a market that has for so long been overvalued can be tempered — especially when there is public backlash to so many of the places developers tend to eye for their skyscrapers.

One of these was, understandably, the proposed Greenbelt developments, but on the opposite end of the spectrum is the protests in already extremely dense and built-up urban areas, such as around Yonge and Eglinton, where locals are up in arms about the prospect of yet another new build.

Nimbys gotta nimby

— kevin louder (@kevin_louder) March 9, 2023

The complex coming to 2350-2352 Yonge Street comes from developer Bazis, which hopes to erect a whopping 323 units across 50 storeys on a "micro lot" that is just 41 feet wide and 516 metres square.

Community members, which have dubbed the proposal "the wafer," is saying that both the height and density is too much for the area, with Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence Councillor Mike Colle identifying a lack of parking and accesssibility for things like delivery and service people — he calls the building's absence of any parking for so many residents as "precedent-setting" — as pressing issues.

"I think the 300 Condos at Yonge and Eglinton are sufficient maybe we should spread them around a little," he wrote in a Facebook post bemoaning Bazis's plan and the Province for using legislation like 2022's More Homes Built Faster Act and More Homes for Everyone Act to overstep the city and allow it.

"No parks, sewers, libraries, and your Ford Government has cut development charges, which means the City will lose $230 million which could have paid for the infrastructure."

The midtown intersection already notoriously plagued with construction is definitely undergoing very extensive transformation, and is slated to see an influx of some 100,000 new residents by 2051. It is the site of so many forthcoming developments, in fact, that the City has to create a whole new infrastructure strategy to make sure basic amenities keep up.

But even if they do keep up despite doubts, concerns about affordability are top of mind, as new builds are not subject to rent control and rarely have affordable units beyond what may be legally required of them.

"Condos for rich idiots, yay" one person wrote on the City's sign announcing the proposed change to the lot at 2350-2352 Yonge.

Hey @Pharrell, any affordable housing planned in this?

Asking for working class people who can't afford rent in 91% of Canadian cities.

♪ “Clap along if you feel like man dem without a roof.” ♪#TOpoli https://t.co/Ia6vy7jFeQ

— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) November 6, 2019

Condo projects that gut all but the facades of our few historic structures often persist just fine — and get the job of creating more units done, though with Frankenstein-esque aesthetic results — but citizens do often have a lot to say when a new tower is slated for their own neighbourhood, even if it's taking over a completely unused space.

Some of these cases can be considered peak NIMBYism, one could argue fears of schools, stores, restaurants, parks, roads, public transit and everything else getting more overwhelmed than they already are, and so quickly, are very valid.

Rich people are getting trolled for trying to cancel Toronto condo project https://t.co/tyBckLQoeO #Toronto #TorontoRealEstate #RealEstate

— blogTO (@blogTO) June 5, 2023

Building upwards is often touted as a better strategy than urban sprawl, but in Toronto, it seems that we've gotten the worst of both worlds — the sprawl of the somewhat disconnected GTHA, but also years of frenzied upward momentum in the form of soaring condo buildings of sub-par quality.

Currently, 2350-2352 Yonge is home to two storefronts of three storeys each, which house Star King Viet Thai Cuisine and a CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice, among others.

Local residents' associations have sent letters to city council to appeal the plan.