256 Major St
256 Major St is in University. There are 12 planning proposals within 250 m, including a 30‑storey building with 472 homes and shops (under review). Spadina Station is a 6‑minute walk.
Data as of Nov 8, 2026 · Every item lists its source
- 6 building permits in the last 5 years.
- A 30-storey building with 472 homes and shops is under review, 99 m away (425 Bloor St W).
- Assaults, break-ins, robberies and thefts over $5,000 in University were above the Toronto rate in 2025.
- Spadina Station (Line 1 and 2) is about a 6-minute walk.
- The nearest elementary school is da Vinci School, 679 m away.
01What’s planned near 256 Major St
12 planning proposals within 250 m (about a 3‑minute walk): ten in progress and two decided recently. Some cover several addresses; each proposal is listed once. That's more than at almost all Toronto addresses.
In progress
- 136-storey building · 431 homes and shops334 Bloor St W and 11 more addresses · 93 m awaySite plan: City review of the design and layout of a new building
City planners are reviewing it. Residents can comment before a decision is made.
Site Plan Approval for a 36-storey mixed-use building containing 431 residential dwelling units (including 24 rental dwelling replacement units), retail at-grade and in the concourse levels and 2 levels of office space. The site includes…File 22 138885 STE 11 SA · submitted Apr 27, 2022 · City record and how to commentAll 12 addresses
334 Bloor St W · 336 Bloor St W · 338 Bloor St W · 340 Bloor St W · 342 Bloor St W · 344 Bloor St W · 346 Bloor St W · 348 Bloor St W · 350 Bloor St W · 2 Spadina Rd · 4 Spadina Rd · 6 Spadina Rd
- 230-storey building · 472 homes and shops425 Bloor St W · 99 m awaySite plan: City review of the design and layout of a new building
City planners are reviewing it. Residents can comment before a decision is made.
Proposal for a 30-storey building with retail units at grade along Bloor Street West. Overall, the proposal will introduce 472 residential units and 798 square metres of retail gross floor area.File 22 216344 STE 11 SA · submitted Oct 12, 2022 · City record and how to comment - 3Add a storey250 Robert St · 135 m awayCommittee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks
The hearing was postponed. A new date hasn't been published yet.
To alter the existing three-storey semi-detached dwelling by constructing a new covered front porch, a rear one and two storey addition (with a basement addition below) at the northwest corner of the dwelling, and a rear third storey…File A0628/26TEY · submitted Aug 28, 2026
Decided recently
- 11Minor variance511 Bloor St W · 226 m awayCommittee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks
The Committee of Adjustment approved it.
To permit the existing partially covered outdoor patio (abutting Borden Street), for the use of the eating establishment within the existing two-and-one-half-storey mixed-use building.File A0598/26TEY · submitted Jul 16, 2026 - 1225-storey building40 Walmer Rd · 237 m awayRezoning: a request to change the Official Plan or zoning so something new can be built
The Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the OMB) approved it.
Zoning By-law Amendment application was appealed to Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT Case No. OLT-24-000316). On April 29, 2025, OLT issued a partial order approving a 25-storey residential building (including 33 replacement rental units),…File 23 217877 STE 11 OZ · submitted Oct 24, 2023 · City record and how to comment
Development Applications and Committee of Adjustment Applications, City of Toronto. A proposal that covers several addresses is listed once. Decided: development files submitted in the last 4 years; Committee of Adjustment decisions in the last 2 years.
02Safety near 256 Major St
Police recorded 228 major crimes within 500 m of this address from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026. That's more than at almost all Toronto addresses. The table compares the neighbourhood's rates with Toronto's.
| Major crime | Near this addressreported within 500 m, last 12 months | Universityper 100,000 residents, 2025 | Torontoper 100,000 residents, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 149 | 1,741 | 768University is higher |
| Break-ins | 50 | 730 | 190University is higher |
| Car thefts | 5 | 183 | 225University is about the same |
| Robberies | 16 | 134 | 79University is higher |
| Thefts over $5,000 | 8 | 122 | 61University is higher |
Thick bar: University. Thin grey bar: Toronto. Source: Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal, Major Crime Indicators (Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026) and Neighbourhood Crime Rates. Reported incidents only; police place each incident at the nearest intersection. Five-year trends for University
03Getting around from 256 Major St
The nearest subway station is Spadina Station (Line 1 and 2), about a 6‑minute walk (0.4 km). Within a 5‑minute walk there are 13 TTC stops served by routes 510, 506, 511, 94 and 127, with about 3,114 departures on a typical weekday. The nearest GO train station is Union Station GO, 3.0 km away, with 354 train stops on a weekday.
Source: TTC · Line 1, 2 · about 6 min walk
Nearest stop: Spadina Ave at Sussex Ave South Side.
Nearest stop: Harbord St at Brunswick Ave.
Nearest stop: Spadina Ave at Sussex Ave.
Nearest stop: Spadina Station.
Nearest stop: Bathurst St at Lennox St.
Source: GO Transit · 354 train stops on a weekday
TTC and GO Transit schedules for a typical weekday (Nov 11, 2026). Walking times are estimates.
04Schools and child care near 256 Major St
These are the closest public and Catholic schools by distance. They may not be the schools assigned to this address: school boards set their own attendance areas, so check with the Toronto District School Board or Toronto Catholic District School Board.
Elementary schools
Share of Grade 6 students meeting the provincial standard. Toronto: 87% reading, 54% math.
Secondary schools
Share of students who passed the Grade 10 literacy test on their first try. Toronto: 84%.
The red tick on each bar is the Toronto average. Private schools within 1 km: Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School & Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, University Of Toronto Schools, City As School Toronto, Taddle Creek Montessori School, Howlett Academy School and 7 more. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education (2026), EQAO results.
Within 500 m (about a 6‑minute walk): eight licensed child care centres, one EarlyON centre, no privately owned public spaces and one shelter or respite site.
427 Bloor St W · 68 spaces · toddler, preschool · in the $10-a-day program
750 Spadina Ave · 194 spaces · toddler, preschool, kindergarten, school age · in the $10-a-day program
630 Spadina Ave · 24 spaces · preschool · in the $10-a-day program
16 Spadina Rd · free programs for children up to 6 and their caregivers
Source: City of Toronto Licensed Child Care Centres and EarlyON Child and Family Centres.
05The building at 256 Major St
Source: Building Construction/Demolition Violations
6 building permits in the last 5 years, for 2 projects. For comparison, about 1 in 10 Toronto addresses had any permit in that time. Permits show work the City approved; they don't show work done without a permit.
Source: Building Permits · 6 on record
It isn't listed or designated on the City's Heritage Register.
Source: Heritage Register
Permit history: 2 projects from 6 permits
- Addition and interior renovation · completed Nov 17, 2025
increase the height to 11.22 mProposed interior alterations to first and second floor, new second and third floor addition to an existing single family detached dwelling. · 4 permits in this project (such as building, plumbing and heating) · Permit 24 103580 - Underpinning and interior renovation · completed Nov 17, 2025
Proposed basement walkout & interior alterations to the basement (62.94 m2)and main floor (3.72 m2) for sfd use only. Underpinning of basement. · 2 permits in this project (such as building, plumbing and heating) · Permit 23 150250
06Around the block
Stays of less than 28 days, like Airbnb. That's more than at most Toronto addresses (the typical address has 2).
Houses that rent individual rooms with shared kitchens or bathrooms. The City licenses them to enforce safety standards.
Sg Vape (vape shop), Wild Wing (restaurant or bar), The Infinite Bean Cafe (restaurant or bar), and 2 more.
YMCA Sprott House (348 m).
All new business licences nearby (5)
- Sg Vape · Vape shop · 499 Bloor St W · 181 m · licensed Oct 16, 2026
- Wild Wing · Restaurant or bar · 362 Bloor St W · 194 m · licensed Oct 3, 2026
- The Infinite Bean Cafe · Restaurant or bar · 750 Spadina Ave · 226 m · licensed Sep 12, 2026
- Pholosophy · Restaurant or bar · 704-706 Spadina Ave · 233 m · licensed Aug 10, 2026
- Red Lantern · Restaurant or bar · 515 Bloor St W · 235 m · licensed Sep 29, 2026
Source: Short Term Rentals Registration, Multi-Tenant (Rooming) House Licences, Business Licences and Permits (storefront types; owners’ personal names are never shown), POPS, and Daily Shelter Occupancy (Nov 6, 2026). Confidential shelter locations are not published.
07Risks and environment at 256 Major St
TRCA's maps show this address is outside the areas that could flood from rivers in a major storm (TRCA plans for a storm like Hurricane Hazel in 1954) and outside lake shoreline hazards. Basement flooding from overloaded sewers can still happen anywhere in the city.
Source: TRCA Regulation mapping 2025
In postal area M5S, 0 of 167 home tap-water samples (0%) tested above Ontario's limit for lead (10 micrograms per litre). Across Toronto, 2.0% of samples did, so M5S is lower than the city overall. Health Canada recommends a stricter limit of 5 micrograms per litre: 5 samples here (3.0%) were above it. These are voluntary tests, mostly from older homes, so they don't tell you about this house. Lead comes from old pipes and plumbing, not the City's treatment plants. If your home was built before the mid-1950s, you can get a free test kit by calling 311.
Source: Non Regulated Lead Sample · 167 tests, May 6, 2014 to Aug 11, 2026
Air Quality Health Index from Environment and Climate Change Canada's Toronto Downtown station, 1.4 km away, measured 1:00 AM EST Monday 9 November 2026. Forecast high for the next 24 hours: 2 (low risk). The scale runs from 1 to 10+; 1 to 3 is low risk.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · hourly
TRCA mapping is for screening, not site-specific decisions. Lead results are voluntary samples from homes in the postal area, not this address.
08The neighbourhood: University
University had 6,435 residents in 2021. The median household income was $80,000, about the same as the typical Toronto neighbourhood ($85,000). 61% of households rent (typical neighbourhood: 46%). 45% of renters spend 30% or more of their income on housing. 27% of workers commuted by transit and 34% walked or cycled (typical neighbourhood: 26% and 5%). The most common first languages other than English and French are Mandarin (6.1%), Cantonese (4.1%) and Portuguese (3.3%). Source: 2021 Census; the next census was taken in 2026.
In October 2025, the average rent for a two-bedroom in a purpose-built rental building in the former City of Toronto was $2,457, up 6% from a year earlier. Across Toronto: $2,055. 3.2% of these apartments were vacant. These are averages paid by all tenants, including long-term ones, across a large area; new listings usually cost more.
| Average rent, October 2025 | Central Toronto | Change in a year | Toronto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,526 | +2% | $1,499 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,914 | +4% | $1,763 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,457 | +6% | $2,055 |
| 3 bedrooms or more | $3,195 | 0% | $2,361 |
Source: CMHC, Rental Market Survey (October 2025), purpose-built rental apartments, central Toronto (the old City of Toronto, before the 1998 amalgamation). CMHC doesn’t publish rents for single neighbourhoods. Adapted by My Address in Toronto.
How University compares with Toronto’s 158 neighbourhoods →Archive photos from near this address: myaddressintoronto.com/address/256-major-st#sec-history
