About

© Ryan Rubin 

Brief History of the KMCLT

The Kensington Market Community Land Trust [KMCLT] was incorporated as a community-based Non-Profit Corporation in December, 2017, after several years of discussion and organizing led by Friends of Kensington Market. In April, 2018, KMCLT sponsored a Community Visioning session, bringing together a wide range of neighbourhood residents and business people to develop a vision and principles to guide the redevelopment of the City-owned parking lot on Bellevue Avenue.

Since that time, KMCLT has been working with the City of Toronto and a team of community organizations to make the Bellevue site available for redevelopment, as well as pursuing other opportunities to maintain Kensington’s character and preserve and expand affordability.

Timeline of the KMCLT

  • 2013

    Friends of Kensington Market is founded in response to development and gentrification pressures

    Campaign Against Walmart in Kensington Market is successful

  • 2015

    Friends of Kensington Market (FOKM) motion to move forward with land trust formation

    FOKM holds meeting about CLT

    FOKM holds community event about land trusts

  • 2017

    KMCLT incorporation

  • 2018

    Community visioning event for the Bellevue Parking Lot sponsored by the KMCLT 

  • 2020

    Councillor Mike Layton introduces a member’s motion to staff to declare the City-owned Green P parking lot at 25 Bellevue Avenue surplus 

  • 2021

    On May 31, 2021, KMCLT acquires 54-56 Kensington Ave, one of the Market’s anchoring properties, with 12 residential and 5 business units