By Stafford

Stafford and DBS Developments have announced a strategic partnership to deliver a Class A purpose-built rental community at Johnston Avenue in Toronto’s Yonge and Sheppard neighbourhood. The site sits approximately 130 metres from Sheppard-Yonge Station, a 90-second walk to direct access to both the Yonge-University and Sheppard subway lines, with an impressive Walk Score of 98. This is the first project between the two companies. It will not be the last.

A Partnership Built on Complementary Strengths

When Stafford looks for a development partner, we look for organizations that are excellent where we are not, and whose long-term orientation matches our own. DBS Developments meets that standard in full.

Founded by David Bela Salomon and now led by the third generation of the Salomon family under CEO Bryan Levy, DBS brings over 60 years of experience designing, building, owning, and managing residential communities across the Greater Toronto Area. Their portfolio includes Bela Square in East Danforth and 2Fifteen in Forest Hill, communities that reflect DBS’s defining approach: treating the resident experience as a product in its own right. That hospitality-influenced philosophy runs from the earliest design decisions through to day-to-day property operations under their DBS Communities management platform.

Stafford brings over 60 years of diversified real estate development, construction, and investment across North America, a vertically integrated platform spanning land development, construction management, and long-term investment, and a track record of identifying and executing on exceptional urban sites. Johnston Avenue is exactly that.

As Bryan Levy, CEO of DBS Developments, put it: demand for professionally managed rental housing continues to grow, and it is increasingly important for experienced developers and operators to deliver projects built for the long term. That is precisely what Johnston Avenue will be.

Why Johnston Avenue

The Yonge-Sheppard node is one of the most consistently in-demand rental markets in the city, anchored by major employment density, two intersecting subway lines, and a neighbourhood that delivers on everyday livability in a way that few addresses in Toronto can match.

The site at Johnston Avenue sits 130 metres from the entrance to Sheppard-Yonge Station. Walk Score: 98. Residents will have immediate access to Highway 401, and exceptional walkability to Yonge Street’s full retail, restaurant, and cultural offering. Mel Lastman Square, one of North York’s most beloved public spaces and home to premier festivals, community events, and a seasonal skating rink, is moments away, along with the Toronto Centre for the Arts and a full corridor of grocery stores, shopping, dining, and everyday services.

Yonge and Sheppard is also one of the most underserved rental nodes in the city relative to its demand profile. The supply gap here is real, and it is growing. Johnston Avenue directly addresses that.

The development application, designed by Turner Fleischer Architects with planning guidance from Goldberg Planning Group, proposes a Class A purpose-built rental community to be built across a multi-property assembly.

What DBS Brings to This Community

The resident experience at Johnston Avenue will reflect DBS’s distinct approach from day one. Through DBS Communities, their in-house property management platform, DBS operates with a commitment to curated programming, attentive service, and the kind of long-term community building that turns a rental building into a place people want to stay. Their track record at Bela Square and 2Fifteen demonstrates what that looks like in practice.

This is not a building that will be sold off when it is complete. Both Stafford and DBS are long-term owners. That alignment in ownership philosophy is as important as any operational capability, and it means every decision made during design, construction, and leasing is made with the resident in mind for the long run.

Building a Longer Partnership

The Johnston Avenue project with DBS reflects a shared strategic direction: identify exceptional sites, partner with operators who bring full-cycle expertise, and deliver rental housing that responds to where Toronto’s demand is and where it is going.

Jonathan Goldman, President of Stafford, shared this on the announcement:

“Stafford is thrilled to be partnering with DBS Developments on Johnston Avenue at exactly the right moment. This opportunity is precisely what we look for: deep and sustained rental demand, and the kind of supply gap that makes Yonge and Sheppard one of the most underserved rental nodes in the city. When you pair our more than six decades of development and construction experience with DBS’s own six decades of owning, managing, and bringing a genuine hospitality sensibility to how people live in their buildings, you get a partnership that is stronger on every dimension. This is the first of several projects we are moving forward on together. There is no partner we would rather be building with. We love this city, we believe in this opportunity, and we are proud to have had the vision and the courage to act on both.”

Johnston Avenue is the first project Stafford and DBS are moving forward on together. There is more to come.

Read the full press release: