MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) is a step closer to establishing its second retail store in the greater Toronto area after the North York Municipal Council recommended Jan. 15 that the MEC-owned site at 784 Sheppard Avenue East be rezoned to allow for a new 'mixed-use' development.
 
Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) has proposed a two-story, 44,000-square-foot retail store fronting onto Sheppard Street and, together with Broccolini Construction, 50 units of stacked townhomes behind the new store on the north portion of the 0.786 hectare site.
 
North York Community Council's recommendation was provided yesterday to Toronto City Council, which will consider and vote on the rezoning application at its meeting on February 19.
 
“We are extremely pleased to have received the support of North York Municipal Council,” said MEC CFO Sandy Treagus. MEC firmly believes that our proposal aligns with the city's planning objectives for the site, and we are optimistic that Toronto City Council will also see its merit and approve the rezoning.”
 
If approved, construction of MEC's North York store and the townhomes will begin in March and open in spring 2015. It would be MEC's second store in the GTA, complementing the retailer's downtown location on King Street West.


Of MEC's more than 3.5 million members across Canada, more than 620,000 reside in the greater Toronto area.


“Ontarians are among the most active in this country, and more than 100,000 MEC members actually reside in the North York area,” said Treagus. A lifetime membership to MEC is only five dollars per person.