Projects/

444 Logan Avenue Net Zero Renewal

Entire building rendering of 444 Logan, surrounded by landscape and low rise buildings.

444 Logan rendering of ground floor and street/parking adjacencies..

Existing image of 444 Logan tower amidst lush tree landscape.

The Ray McCleary Towers, located at 444 Logan Avenue, opened in 1967 as the first housing initiative from WoodGreen Community Services. Named for Reverend Ray McCleary (1907–1967), WoodGreen’s founder and a respected community figure, the building honours his legacy of charity in Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood.

The 444 Logan project, led by WoodGreen Community Housing and ERA with a team of technical and strategic partners, is a pioneering deep energy retrofit. The 160-unit seniors’ housing tower is being upgraded to today’s highest standards for energy efficiency, tenant comfort, and long-term sustainability.

The project targets Net Zero Carbon certification in line with Canada’s 2050 climate and housing goals. Lessons learned from Hamilton’s Ken Soble Tower Passive House retrofit — a smaller twin of the Ray McCleary Towers, also built by Ontario Housing in 1967 — are informing the project’s approach. Planned upgrades include prefabricated high-performance envelope panels, airtightness improvements, zero-carbon mechanical systems, and on-site solar PV generation. The prefabricated approach to high-rise envelope retrofit is one of the first of its kind in Canada.

A key feature is its tenant-in-place delivery model, designed to minimize disruption for senior residents. Using off-site prefabrication, phased construction, and ERA’s Field Guide to Retrofits in Occupied Buildings, the project ensures residents remain safely and comfortably housed throughout. Additional upgrades address structural repairs, life-safety systems, and the overall state of good repair, extending the tower’s lifespan while improving quality of life.

Supported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), 444 Logan represents a new wave of housing renewal projects that link affordability with climate resilience. CMHC’s Greener Affordable Housing program supports deep energy and affordability outcomes, while NRCan’s investment advances scalable retrofit delivery models and workforce development.

As one of Canada’s leading demonstration projects for deep retrofits, 444 Logan is helping to build the capacity, tools, and delivery models needed to scale solutions nationwide.