WELCOME TO THE
ALEXANDRA PARK CO-OP
About Us
We are within walking distance of Scadding Court Community Centre, Sanderson library, Chinatown, Kensington Market, chic Queen Street West and a number of schools.
Ours is the first Co-op built in Ontario; we have 104 units comprised of four three-story walk-up apartment buildings which have one and two bedroom units, and townhouses which have three and four bedroom units. The townhouses have a basement and a backyard.
This Co-op is not wheelchair accessible.
There is no subsidy available.
Our History
The initial organizers of Alexandra Park Co-operative were the Citizens’ Housing Committee of Metropolitan Toronto. This was a group of individuals who in the fall of 1968 approached the City of Toronto about acquiring some of the land in Alexandra Park.
Alexandra Park was an urban renewal project which included the development of a large public housing project, improvement of lanes and other services, and the acquisition of certain properties which were to be redeveloped by the private market. The Citizens’ Housing Committee approached the City of Toronto about two of these parcels for the development for non-profit housing. In the summer of 1970, the City passed a resolution stating that some of the land should be leased to a project such as the one proposed by the Citizens’ Housing Committee.
It was not until the spring of 1971 that the decision was finally reached to accept the proposal of the Citizens’ Housing Committee. At that point, all efforts were turned to CMHC to finalize the mortgage commitment. For the next several months there was considerable negotiation as to what should be the organizational framework of the co-operative.
The CHC was incorporated under the name The Society for the Study of Urban Shelters and it was their intention to own the project initially and then transfer it to an organization to be called the Alexandra Park Co-operative. CMHC indicated that they wanted to make their loan commitment directly to the Alexandra Park Co-operative. This issue was resolved by the fall of 1971 with a mortgage commitment in place.
Up until this time, no funds had been advanced to the co-operative and many people had done a great deal of work at their own risk. The architects, Tampold Wells, for example, had gone forward with full working drawings, which was both costly and time consuming.
At this point the Committee called for tenders for the project. Three bids were submitted and they were all significantly above the budget. For six months the CHC negotiated with several builders to work on various modifications and applied to CMHC for an Increase in the mortgage amount so that by July 1972 construction could start.
In the fall of 1973, Alexandra Park Co-operative was near completion. October 1973 saw the members move into Carr Court and Ryerson Avenue, as these were the first units completed. Shortly after, when Eden place was completed, members began to move in. The Alexandra Park Co-operative became a reality.
Our Mission Statement
“Alexandra Park exists in an urban setting which provides safe, affordable and sustainable housing that meets the needs of its members now and in the future, in a positive co-operative community.”
The Neighbourhood
Alexandra Park Co-operative is located in downtown Toronto just north of Queen Street West and east of Bathurst Street.
Alexandra Park Cooperative is located in a very quiet and comfortable neighbourhood, surrounded by houses, condominiums and stores. There are two parks to the east and west which are great for walking your pets, exercising or for your kids to play.
The Toronto Western Hospital is also very close by. As an added bonus, there are both elementary and high schools within the vicinity.
Because we are located in the heart of Toronto, the fashion district is five minutes walking distance and there are many stores, cafés and eateries right in our neighbourhood. Kensington market and China town are within walking range and are places where you can get great deals on produce.
Our location allows easy access to downtown and TTC, to get you virtually any place you need to go.
Our Core Values
Community
Participation
Communication
Respect
Mutual Benefits
Building Quality
Honesty
Our Mission Statement and Core Values were adopted by our co-op members at the September 19, 2010 General Members meeting.
How does a Co-op work?
Like all Co-ops, there is no landlord who makes a profit from your rent; the members who live here run the Co-op through a democratically elected Board of Directors, committees of volunteer members and attendance at General Member meetings.
This is how we keep costs down: members volunteer! Your volunteer work could be anything from sitting on the co-op board or a committee, to gardening or snow-shovelling. All members have a duty to attend regular Member meetings, held three (3) times a year. Committees a member can participate on are:
- Membership
- By-Laws
- Finance
- Capital Planning
- Social
- Green
How is a Co-op different from rental apartments?
The advantages of Co-op living include: housing charges (rent) may be below market rates, excellent maintenance of our buildings, long-term residence, security and a strong sense of community.
The co-op employs three staff, a Maintenance Manager, a Community Manager, and a Finance Manager.
Our waiting list is closed.
When waiting lists re-open they will be announced here.