Little Jamaica Community Land Trust
National SPRE Accelerator 2025
Location: Toronto, ON
Website: https://www.ljclt.ca/
Contact: Anyika Mark, Community Land Trust Coordinator: Anyika.mark@blackurbanismto.com
Mission
Since the 1950s, Little Jamaica has been a thriving Afro-Caribbean cultural district located along Eglinton Avenue West. Given that the displacement pressures caused by transit-oriented development are still present in Little Jamaica, the creation of Little Jamaica Community Land Trust (LJCLT) is a critical first step for mitigating further displacement. The LJCLT will acquire property and steward resources to drive the heritage preservation and self-determination of diverse Black diasporic peoples in a sustainable way for residents and businesses.
Project
As of earlier this year, the Little Jamaica Community Land Trust and Black Urbanism TO signed an active agreement with a private local developer to activate their ground-floor retail space. This agreement ensures a 49-year lease for the space to be used as a cultural community hub, stewarded and operated by a non-profit organization.
In the Accelerator, they will
Transform the current cultural community hub proposal into a comprehensive business plan. A key objective is to develop a sustainable and replicable project delivery and governance model that leverages the construction period of new residential developments in the LJCLT area. LJCLT seeks to explore aligned project funding opportunities and undergo a design charette for the space.