Developer Green Street Flats has developed a project in the heart of Toronto's Annex neighbourhood that created residences designed to fill in the so-called missing middle housing.
The small-scale multifamily development at 321 St. George St. known as The Saint George, bridges the divide between single-family low-rise houses and tiny condo boxes in the sky and shows what's possible when working to tackle Toronto's housing crisis and deliver much-needed rental housing, the development team said.
The project began as a modest single-family home that has since been transformed into a 22-bedroom, nine-unit multiplex, complete with a garden suite, adding residential density in one of Toronto's most vibrant and walkable neighbourhoods.
For demonstrating what can be achieved in the missing middle housing sector by providing affordable, family-friendly rental homes in a city where such options are becoming increasingly scarce, Green Street Flats' Saint George was selected as a winner of the 2025 CoStar Impact award for multifamily development of the year in Toronto, as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
About the project: The development team said it navigated a challenging zoning and approval process that required seven variances in total, including a significant one that extended the main building to 21.8 meters in depth, exceeding the permitted limit of 17 metres.
The complexity of the process necessitated a committee of adjustment hearing, where Green Street Flats had to work closely with local authorities and stakeholders to secure approval before moving forward with the development.
While Toronto's zoning allows for fourplexes in certain areas, Green Street Flats pushed the limits even further, delivering nine rental units in total, each designed to serve a specific need within the community.
The development includes four-bedroom, two-bedroom, and one-bedroom units, allowing for a diverse range of tenants, from families to young professionals and students.
The building is located on a bike path, less than a five-minute walk from Dupont Subway Station, offering access to the city's transit network. This combination of sustainability, accessibility and convenience makes it an ideal location for people who want to live in one of Toronto's most walkable and vibrant neighbourhoods.
According to the development team led by Leonid Kotov, president of Green Street Flats, this project exemplifies the future of multifamily housing development in Toronto, where missing middle housing, characterized by smaller, more sustainable, and community-oriented residences, offer a viable solution for solving the city's affordability crisis.
What the judges said: "This development is impactful and worthy of the award because it delivers affordable units in a supply-constrained environment and solves an acute need during the housing crisis. Infill projects like this are critical in taking advantage of the transit infrastructure in our big cities and avoiding further urban sprawl," said Paul Macchione, senior vice president of industrial, with Cadillac Fairview Corp.
"The rejuvenation of this asset and the way it looks today is very impactful. We need much more of this type of development in the market," said Allen Grinberg, a principal at Avison Young.
"The Saint George tackled a number of challenges facing the City of Toronto. The housing crisis and affordable rentals go hand in hand, so making this development both available and affordable has a strong impact by responding to the needs of the community. Its design and the addition of outdoor space are complementary to the requirements of the residents that will ultimately reside there," said Alanna Cantkier, national vice president of retail leasing with JLL.
"They really pushed the boundaries, and I can imagine how difficult it was dealing with the city," said Craig Wagner, vice president, and partner and Berkshire Axis.
They made it happen: Leonid Kotov, president of Green Street Flats led the development team. Dubbeldam Architecture + Design served as architect for The Saint George, and Batory Management handled planning.