CSM Dev Corp Dearness Drive apartment plan | South London, Ontario 2026

Key Points

• A proposed apartment development at 1047–1055 Dearness Drive in south London, Ontario, has returned for consideration.
• The latest proposal is for a 12-storey building containing 210 residential units.
• The site is at the north-west corner of Bradley Avenue and Dearness Drive, near White Oaks Mall.
• London-based developer CSM Dev Corp. is behind the revised application.
• The proposal is twice the height of an earlier six-storey plan approved by London city council in 2021.
• The earlier scheme included 55 apartments, rooftop terraces and four affordable housing units.
• The current application requires amendments to the City of London’s Official Plan and zoning by-law.
• City planning documents identify the latest application as file OZ-26063.
• The current notice does not represent a final approval; the proposal remains subject to the municipal planning and public participation process.

South London (South London News) August 7, 2026, returned a proposal for an apartment building at 1047–1055 Dearness Drive, with the revised scheme seeking permission for a 12-storey building containing 210 residential units near White Oaks Mall. The application would require changes to London’s Official Plan and zoning by-law before the project could proceed.

What has been proposed for Dearness Drive?

The proposed development would be built on the north-west corner of Bradley Avenue and Dearness Drive. The site is close to White Oaks Mall and sits within an area where residential intensification and redevelopment have become part of wider planning discussions.

Under the latest application, the proposed building would contain 210 homes across 12 storeys. The application seeks a maximum height of 12 storeys, together with a maximum floorplate of 850 square metres for the part of the building above the eighth storey. The application also proposes a minimum lot area of 0.41 hectares as a condition for allowing the increased height.

The proposal has been submitted by London-based developer CSM Dev Corp. City planning staff are recommending that the application be approved, according to the report provided for this development. However, the formal public notice confirms that the application is being considered through the planning process and does not itself amount to final approval.

The application is registered under file number OZ-26063. The City of London has identified I. de Ceuster as the planner assigned to the file. cite

How does the new proposal differ from the old plan?

The latest proposal is substantially larger than the scheme previously approved for the same property.

In 2021, London city council approved amendments connected with a six-storey mixed-use apartment building containing 55 dwelling units. The earlier plan included rooftop terraces and a maximum building height of 26 metres. The approved density was set at 134 residential units per hectare. cite

The earlier application was associated with Leo, Maria and Christine Viglianti, according to the council’s 2021 notice of decision. Council approved changes to the Official Plan and zoning designation to allow the property to move from a low-density residential designation towards a multi-family, medium-density residential use.

The 2021 decision changed the zoning from Residential R1 and Residential R2/Office Conversion zones to a Residential R9 Bonus zone. That approval was intended to facilitate a six-storey apartment building with 55 homes. cite

By comparison, the new proposal would rise to 12 storeys and contain 210 homes. This means the revised scheme would be twice the previously approved height and would provide 155 more residential units than the earlier plan.

The increase represents a significant change in scale. It would alter not only the number of homes proposed for the site but also the relationship between the building and surrounding streets, properties and public spaces. Those matters would be examined through the Official Plan and zoning review.

What changes to planning rules are being requested?

The developer is seeking a specific policy under the Neighbourhoods Place Type of The London Plan. The application would also add the property to Map 7, which identifies specific policy areas.

The proposed policy would permit a maximum height of 12 storeys. It would also introduce the floorplate limit for the upper part of the building and establish the minimum lot-area requirement connected to the proposed increase in height.

The zoning request would change the property from a Residential R9 Special Provision Bonus zone, identified as R9-1(3)H19B-79, to a Residential R9 Special Provision zone. The proposed new designation is identified as R9-7(_), with additional provisions intended to implement the development. cite

The City of London has stated that it may consider alternative zoning during the application process. That could include a different base zone, additional permitted uses, further special provisions relating to height or density, or holding provisions.

As a result, the final wording of any amendment may differ from the initial application. The planning process allows staff, councillors, members of the public and other agencies to examine the proposal before a decision is made.

What was included in the 2021 approval?

The earlier six-storey plan contained several design requirements intended to manage the building’s relationship with Bradley Avenue, Dearness Drive and neighbouring properties.

The 2021 decision required a built form along Bradley Avenue and Dearness Drive, with street-oriented units and active uses along the frontages. It also called for architectural treatment at the intersection of the two roads and an active Bradley Avenue frontage with a principal entrance and individual entrances for ground-floor apartments. cite

The approved design framework included ground-floor private amenity spaces, patio enclosures and a step-back above the fifth storey along part of the building. The decision also referred to articulated façades, balconies, terraces and a variety of materials and textures to create visual variation.

A significant setback from the property to the north was included to help create a transition between the mid-rise building and lower-rise homes. The earlier plan also provided for common outdoor amenity space at ground level and rooftop terraces designed to protect the privacy of neighbouring properties.

The approval included requirements for landscaping buffers along the northern property line and around areas where parking could be visible from the street. It also limited surface parking near the major street frontage and proposed that most parking be provided underground.

It is not clear from the current public notice whether all of those earlier design conditions would remain unchanged under the 12-storey, 210-unit proposal. The new application will therefore need to be reviewed against current planning policies and the details submitted by CSM Dev Corp.

Would the revised proposal include affordable housing?

The 2021 approval included four affordable housing units. Two were one-bedroom homes and two were two-bedroom homes.

The council decision stated that the rents for those units were not to exceed 85 per cent of the Average Market Rent for the London Census Metropolitan Area, as determined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation at the time of occupancy. The affordability period was set at 50 years from the initial occupancy of the building. cite

The earlier conditions also required the developer to enter into a Tenant Placement Agreement with the City of London. That agreement was intended to align the affordable homes with priority populations.

The latest public notice describes the 210-unit proposal and the planning changes being requested but does not set out a new affordable-housing commitment. The current application materials will need to be examined to determine whether the previous affordable-housing provisions have been retained, amended or replaced.

What stage has the application reached?

The latest proposal has entered the municipal planning process. The City of London’s public notice states that the application will be considered by the Planning and Environment Committee at a future public meeting. The date and time of that meeting are to be published by the city. cite

Residents, property owners and other interested parties can submit comments to the city and the planner assigned to the application. Written submissions and comments made during the public participation process may be included in public records connected with the application.

The city has also reminded residents that planning application notices are available online. From January 1, 2026, the city said it would no longer publish planning application notices in The Londoner, while mailed notices would continue where required under The London Plan and the Planning Act. cite

The application can therefore change as technical reviews and public comments are considered. A final decision would be required before construction could begin, and further approvals would normally be needed at later stages, including detailed site planning and building permits.

Why is the location significant?

The site is positioned near Bradley Avenue, Dearness Drive and White Oaks Mall. The surrounding area includes established residential streets, commercial activity and major transport routes.

In 2021, the city described the earlier proposal as an infill development within the Built-Up Area Boundary and the Primary Transit Area. Council’s decision said the development was consistent with policies encouraging the regeneration of settlement areas, housing choice, intensification and redevelopment. cite

A larger apartment building would bring more residents to the site than the previously approved plan. That could affect the demand for local roads, public transport, pedestrian facilities, schools, parks and other services. Those matters would be considered through the planning review rather than assumed to be resolved by the application itself.

The proposal would also be considered in the context of other apartment and high-rise plans in south London. However, the current application concerns only the Dearness Drive property and should not be treated as approval for any separate development nearby.

What happens next in the planning process?

The Planning and Environment Committee is expected to review the application at a future public meeting. City staff will assess the requested Official Plan and zoning changes, while technical comments may be requested from municipal departments and external agencies.

The committee may recommend approval, refusal or changes to the proposal. London city council would then consider the application and any associated planning instruments. The outcome could include conditions relating to design, access, servicing, landscaping, parking, environmental matters or the protection of neighbouring properties.

Members of the public who want their views considered should submit written comments or speak at the relevant public meeting. The city has warned that people who do not make oral or written submissions before an amendment is adopted or approved may face restrictions if they later seek to appeal or participate in an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal. cite

No construction timetable has been provided in the public notice. The development would not be able to proceed on the basis of the application alone.

Background: how did the apartment plan develop?

The property previously had approval for a six-storey, 55-unit mixed-use apartment building. That approval was granted by London city council in August 2021 after Official Plan and zoning changes were considered.

The earlier approval included a bonus zoning arrangement, design requirements, rooftop terraces, landscaping measures and four affordable units. It also set a maximum height of six storeys and 26 metres. cite

The city’s planning application page recorded the 2021 scheme as a six-storey mixed-use apartment building with 55 dwelling units and rooftop terraces. The page was last modified on August 24, 2021. cite

The new application replaces that earlier development concept with a proposal for 12 storeys and 210 units. It must now pass through a new planning review focused on the requested height, density, design, servicing and relationship with the surrounding area.

Prediction: how could the proposal affect south London residents?

If approved, the revised scheme would provide considerably more housing on the site than the 2021 plan. The additional homes could increase the number of residents living close to White Oaks Mall and nearby transport routes.

For existing residents, the main effects would depend on the final design and technical studies. Potential issues for review could include traffic, construction activity, parking, privacy, shadowing, servicing capacity, pedestrian safety and the transition between the taller building and nearby lower-rise properties.

The proposal could also support greater residential density in an established part of south London. However, the scale of any benefit or impact cannot be determined until the city completes its assessment and councillors decide whether to approve, reject or amend the application.