Re-Development of 685 Queen East
Riverdale Co-operative Houses’ building at 685 Queen Street East was originally built in 1904 as a 2½ storey house. Many years later, an addition was constructed at the back. By the time Riverdale Co-op bought the property in the 1970s, the building had been subdivided into 9 apartments.
The idea of re-developing 685 Queen East had been contemplated for many years but the current project began in earnest in 2015. Volunteer committee members and the Board of Directors have been instrumental in seeing this project proceed alongside staff and consultants. The re-development includes an extensive renovation of the existing building, as well as the addition of a new building at the rear for a total of 26 units.
Since the beginning, the vision behind the project has been to provide accessible and affordable accommodation to individuals and families, including the Co-op’s own members. The new 685 Queen East building will be Riverdale Co-op’s first fully accessible building, not to mention its first building with an elevator! There will be studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units.
The City of Toronto has contributed close to $11 million towards the re-development of the property, as well as waivers of fees, charges and property taxes. As part of the funding agreement with the City, Riverdale Co-op has agreed to operate the new building as an affordable housing project in perpetuity. The construction of the new 685 Queen East building is expected in late December 2023, and ready for occupancy in January 2024.
Progress of Construction

March 24, 2022

May 04, 2022

June 15, 2022

November 16, 2022

January 25, 2023

March 29, 2023

March 29, 2023
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Community Information
BUILDING
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- Fully accessible building with elevator, ramps, automatic door openers and more
- Large community room with kitchenette
- Rooftop patio
- Bike storage and laundry room
- Minimal parking
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UNITS
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- 26 units in total including studio, 1 bed, 2 bed and 3 bed apartments
- 6 universal barrier free units fully modified for accessibility
- 10 barrier free units
- Range of unit sizes depending on location in building
- Non-smoking building including units
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ELIGIBILITY
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- Current Riverdale Co-op members and external applicants are welcome to apply
- Applicants must have a household income not more than 4 times the housing charge (rent)
- Applicants requesting accessible units must provide medical documentation supporting need
- 5 units are designated for professional artists who meet the qualifications outlined in the City of Toronto Access Policy for Artists-Designated Units
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APPLICATION PROCESS
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- Application process to open mid-June and close in late July
- Online application process only
- Where there are more applications than available units, a lottery will be held
- Separate application process for current Riverdale Co-op members looking to transfer to new building than for external applicants
- External applicants must attend mandatory co-op housing info session and membership interview
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Unit Information
685 Queen St - Units
Unit Type | Unit Size | Monthly Charge |
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Studio (2 Units) | 577-620 Sq. Ft. | TBD |
1 Bedroom Universal Barrier Free (1 Unit) | 627 Sq. Ft. | TBD |
1 Bedroom Barrier Free (10 units) | 571-577 Sq. Ft. | TBD |
1 Bedroom Regular (2 units) | 554-775 Sq. Ft. | TBD |
2 Bedroom Universal Barrier Free (5 units) | 652 Sq. Ft. | TBD |
2 Bedroom Regular (4 units) | 778-1109 Sq. Ft. | TBD |
3 Bedroom Regular (2 units) | 1163-1166 Sq. Ft. | TBD |