Allen East District

The Allen District, located south of Sheppard Avenue West on the east side of Allen Road, represents the largest site within CreateTO’s portfolio, which comprises 57 acres of land, and will facilitate the development of a complete community by delivering residential development, new and improved public spaces, retail and employment opportunities, upgraded area infrastructure, improved public realm and public art opportunities, community space, new employment opportunities, a new road network and connections for bikes and pedestrians.

The Allen District will develop as a Mixed-use District with non-residential development near Downsview Subway Station (Sheppard West Station) and residential development to the south. At-grade street connections across Allen Road will be established to connect and link the west and east sides of the District. Three local Parks will also be provided in this District; one on the west side of Allen Road and two on the east side of Allen Road. The parks on the east side of Allen Road will be linked via an enhanced Greenway.

In 2011, the Ontario Municipal Board approved the Downsview Secondary Plan, which is the blueprint for directing growth and development in the Downsview area. The Plan includes both overarching development policies, but also divides the neighbourhood into seven districts, allowing for more specific principles unique to each district to guide future development.

Located around the Sheppard West Subway Station, the Allen District is one of the districts comprising of 73 acres within the Downsview Area Secondary Plan. Since 2009, CreateTO (previously Build Toronto) have been tasked with creating a plan to guide the development within the Allen East District. The final report outlining the Allen East District Plan, a requirement of the Secondary Plan, was adopted by Toronto City Council on October 1, 2021.  

The Allen Precinct encompasses one of the largest undeveloped, transit-oriented sites within the City of Toronto. Municipally known as 1035 Sheppard Ave. W., most of the site was formerly part of the Canadian Forces Base Downsview until the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto ("Metro") acquired the site from the Department of National Defence in 1987. The site, much of it vacant today, was declared surplus by the City of Toronto for transfer to our organization in 2009.