As Toronto seeks low-rise apartments, bylaws requiring amenities may stand in the way

When Fitzrovia, the rapidly expanding rental developer founded in 2017 by Adrian Rocca, began building its three-tower “Sloane” project four years ago, the company reckoned it needed to offer residents plenty of on-site amenities. Shoehorned onto a forbidding triangle of land next to the 401 off ramp to Yorkdale, the property’s neighbours include a Honda dealership and several industrial buildings. The mall is nearby, as the crow flies. But to reach it, Sloane’s tenants have to traverse Dufferin’s six lanes and then Yorkdale’s windswept parking lot.

Understandably, Sloane offers something of an all-you-can-eat buffet of options for its tenants. Besides the typical high-rise features – pool, party room, gym, terrace – there’s also a basketball court, a co-working space, a Montessori school, a movie room and a “pet spa.”