27 Spruce St
27 Spruce St is in Cabbagetown-South St.James Town, on the City's Heritage Register. There are 6 planning proposals within 250 m, including a 10‑storey building with 60 homes and shops (under appeal).
Data as of Nov 9, 2026 · Every item lists its source
- It is in a Heritage Conservation District (Cabbagetown South) (Part V).
- A public hearing on Nov 25 about a proposal to add a storey at 309 Carlton St, 190 m away.
- A 10-storey building with 60 homes and shops is under appeal, 157 m away (505 Parliament St and 1 more address).
- Assaults, break-ins and robberies in Cabbagetown-South St.James Town were above the Toronto rate in 2025.
- Bus 65 stop 120 m away; the nearest subway is 1.2 km.
- The nearest elementary school is Sprucecourt Junior Public School, 237 m away.
01What’s planned near 27 Spruce St
6 planning proposals within 250 m (about a 3‑minute walk): six in progress. Some cover several addresses; each proposal is listed once. That's more than at 93% of Toronto addresses.
In progress
- 1Laneway suite9 Spruce St · 59 m awayCommittee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks
The Committee of Adjustment approved it on Sep 1, 2021. It has been appealed to the Toronto Local Appeal Body (TLAB), which will hold its own hearing and make the final decision.
To construct a two-storey laneway suite at the rear of the existing two-storey detached dwelling.File A0004/21TEY · submitted Dec 24, 2020 - 210-storey building · 60 homes and shops505 Parliament St and 1 more address · 157 m awayRezoning: a request to change the Official Plan or zoning so something new can be built
It has been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the OMB), which will make the final decision.
Zoning By-law Amendment law to permit the development of site for a 10-storey mixed-use building (38.6 metres) with retail at-grade (278 square metres) and 60 dwelling units. The western (Parliament Street) elevation of the existing 1½…File 23 124360 STE 13 OZ · submitted Mar 17, 2023 · City record and how to commentAll 2 addresses
505 Parliament St · 509 Parliament St
- 3Garden suite359 1/2 Sackville St · 167 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 construct a new second residential building ((two-storey detached dwelling (garden suite) located in the rear yard, abutting Spruce Street, as approved under Committee of Adjustment File A0995/20TEY)) with a basement, and a side…File A0546/25TEY · submitted Jul 18, 2025
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 27 Spruce St
Police recorded 176 major crimes within 500 m of this address from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026. That's more than at 96% of Toronto addresses. The table compares the neighbourhood's rates with Toronto's.
| Major crime | Near this addressreported within 500 m, last 12 months | Cabbagetown-South St.James Townper 100,000 residents, 2025 | Torontoper 100,000 residents, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 105 | 1,079 | 768Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is higher |
| Break-ins | 50 | 321 | 190Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is higher |
| Car thefts | 3 | 92 | 225Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is lower |
| Robberies | 11 | 145 | 79Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is higher |
| Thefts over $5,000 | 7 | 23 | 61Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is lower |
Thick bar: Cabbagetown-South St.James Town. Thin grey bar: Toronto. Source: Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal, Major Crime Indicators (Oct 2, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026) and Neighbourhood Crime Rates. Reported incidents only; police place each incident at the nearest intersection. Five-year trends for Cabbagetown-South St.James Town
03Getting around from 27 Spruce St
The nearest subway station is Castle Frank Station (Line 2), about a 19‑minute walk (1.2 km). Within a 5‑minute walk there are 9 TTC stops served by the 506 streetcar and the 65 bus, with about 3,210 departures on a typical weekday. The nearest GO train station is Union Station GO, 2.3 km away, with 354 train stops on a weekday.
Source: TTC · Line 2 · about 19 min walk
Nearest stop: Parliament St at Carlton St, plus 1 more stop for this route within 250 m.
Nearest stop: Parliament St at Gerrard St East, plus 4 more stops for this route within 250 m.
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 27 Spruce St
The closest public and Catholic schools. They may not be the ones assigned to this address; check with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) or Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB).
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: National Ballet School - Margaret Mccain Acedemic Centre, National Ballet School, Liberty Prep School, Le College Francais - Carlton Campus, National Ballet School - The Shoe Room and 1 more. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education (2026), EQAO results.
Within 500 m (about a 6‑minute walk): seven licensed child care centres and three EarlyON centres.
270 Gerrard St E · 65 spaces · infant, toddler, preschool · in the $10-a-day program · fee subsidies
70 Spruce St · 56 spaces · kindergarten, school age · in the $10-a-day program · fee subsidies
517 Parliament St · 32 spaces · toddler, preschool, school age · in the $10-a-day program
70 Spruce St · free programs for children up to 6 and their caregivers
350 Parliament St · free programs for children up to 6 and their caregivers
101 Spruce St · 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 27 Spruce St
Source: Building Construction/Demolition Violations
0 building permits in the last 5 years. Permits show work the City approved; they don't show work done without a permit.
Source: Building Permits · 6 on record
It is in a Heritage Conservation District (Cabbagetown South) (Part V). Exterior changes and demolition may need a heritage permit.
Source: Heritage Register
Permit history: 2 projects from 6 permits
- Back Water Valve (Sewer only) · completed Feb 8, 2019
Back Water Valve (Sewer only) · Permit 19 112047 - Addition(s) · completed Jun 21, 2021
REVISION: Structural revisions to roof and walls.Rear one storey addition. See C of A flie. · 5 permits in this project (such as building, plumbing and heating) · Permit 12 282955
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.
Little Bee (take-out or food shop), Hans Convenience (take-out or food shop), The Fade Club (salon or personal services), and 3 more.
213 Carlton Street (269 m), Fred Victor Centre Transition to Housing Dundas St E (494 m).
All new business licences in Cabbagetown-South St.James Town (6)
- Little Bee · Take-out or food shop · 140 Carlton St · 719 m · licensed Oct 30, 2026
- Hans Convenience · Take-out or food shop · 213 Wellesley St E · 713 m · licensed Oct 15, 2026
- The Fade Club · Salon or personal services · 457 Parliament St · 105 m · licensed Oct 15, 2026
- Laundry On Carlton · Laundromat or dry cleaner · 252 1/2 Carlton St · 194 m · licensed Oct 8, 2026
- Fair Trade Jewellery Company · Jewellery or gold buyer · 576 Parliament St · 553 m · licensed Sep 15, 2026
- Jesmin Foods · Take-out or food shop · 405 Parliament St · 126 m · licensed Aug 11, 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 27 Spruce 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 M5A, 4 of 134 home tap-water samples (3.0%) tested above Ontario's limit for lead (10 micrograms per litre). Across Toronto, 2.0% of samples did, so M5A is about the same as the city overall. Health Canada recommends a stricter limit of 5 micrograms per litre: 9 samples here (6.7%) 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 · 134 tests, May 21, 2014 to Oct 15, 2026
Air Quality Health Index from Environment and Climate Change Canada's Toronto Downtown station, 2.8 km away, measured 5:00 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: Cabbagetown-South St.James Town
Cabbagetown-South St. James Town had 11,020 residents in 2021. The median household income was $76,500, about the same as the typical Toronto neighbourhood ($85,000). 55% of households rent (typical neighbourhood: 46%). 39% of renters spend 30% or more of their income on housing. 27% of workers commuted by transit and 38% walked or cycled (typical neighbourhood: 26% and 5%). The most common first languages other than English and French are Spanish (3.2%), Pilipino, Filipino (2.9%) and Cantonese (1.6%). Source: 2021 Census; the next census was taken in 2026.
Rents aren't published for single neighbourhoods. Across central Toronto (the old City of Toronto, before the 1998 amalgamation), a two-bedroom in a purpose-built rental building averaged $2,457 a month in October 2025, up 6% from a year earlier. The Toronto average was $2,055. The vacancy rate was 3.2%. These averages include long-term tenants; 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 Cabbagetown-South St.James Town compares with Toronto’s 158 neighbourhoods →Archive photos from near this address: myaddressintoronto.com/address/27-spruce-st#sec-history
