60 Bowden is an exciting new development in Toronto, focused on helping to address the need for senior’s focused affordable housing in an area with the highest rates of senior poverty in our country.

Working with R-Hauz, we have begun the design for the adaptive re-use of the Danforth Baptist Church into 50 apartments. The portion of the church fronting Danforth Ave and tower along Bowden will be retained, with an eight-storey mass timber addition. The new construction will make use of heavy timber and CLT construction, with a portion of the church basement being retained on the northern half of the facility. The design concept capitalizes on flat-panel modular and pre-fabricated solutions to expedite construction timelines, and reinforce the strong sustainability targets for the development. As the project moves ahead, it will transition into an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) contract.

The program for the new development provides a range of health and wellness supports, innovative programs, common spaces, and amenities, while allowing the Danforth Baptist Church congregation to continue using the space. Program spaces will include a community kitchen and dining hall, community food bank, and a large gathering space. Additionally, residents will have access to a landscaped courtyard.

This building typology is indicative of R-Hauz’s mission to build quickly, sustainability and affordability, while addressing missing middle and responding to the call for rapid housing and affordable housing. The 60 Bowden project is one of 5 active projects with the R-Hauz Team, all of which target the near for affordable and sustainability housing.

On April 13, 2023, WoodGreen announced The Sprott Foundation has made a generous $4 million contribution to the project. This contribution is the largest single donation received in WoodGreen’s history and kicks off the fundraising phase of WoodGreen’s UNMET Needs Campaign, which aims to raise $25 million for social services programs in the city over 3 years. Learn more about how to support the campaign here: https://www.woodgreen.org/give-to-woodgreen.