Move over 50 Bloor; 27 Yorkville recently came back to centre stage after a bit of a hiatus following its sale last year, bringing with it a colorful and provocative rendering of what we may see coming to the Yonge and Bloor skyline. Minto Group Inc. purchased the Yorkville parking lot last summer from the Toronto Parking Authority, and have subsequently been working closely with Wallman Architects on the two-tower design. We can glean a substantial amount of information from the rendering provided, along with the rezoning application it was attached to.

Detail of 27 Yorkville, image from planning application

The site stretches between Yorkville and Cumberland Street, just east of Bay. In the proposal a 10-storey podium will serve as the base for two towers. The northern tower (Tower 'A') will reach 237 metres with 69 floors, while the southern tower (Tower 'B') will climb to 182 metres, coming in at 55 storeys. 

West elevation for 27 Yorkville, image from planning application

The ground floor would contain 36,000 square feet of retail space, with an additional 46,000 square feet on the second floor. The Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) would occupy floors three to nine with a total of 802 parking spaces, replacing the parking lost with the demolition of the current garage. The residential parking lot would contain 370 spaces below grade, for a total of 1172 parking spaces within the building.

Ground floor plan for 27 Yorkville, image from planning application

Residents will have access to indoor and outdoor amenities on the 11th floor, atop the roof of the podium. The towers will then rise up from the 12th floor with a variety of units from studios to 2 bedrooms and penthouses. A total of 1,166 units will be coming to market under the current application.

South elevation for 27 Yorkville, image from planning application

27 Yorkville could join skyscraping neighbours such as the Four Seasons (52 and 25-storeys), One Bloor (75-storeys) and the proposed 50 Bloor West (83-storeys), making it difficult to argue against the development in regards to height. The number of units may cause concern for area residents, adding traffic volume to the relatively narrow streets of Cumberland and Yorkville. 

Initial project rendering for 27 Yorkville, courtesy of AlvinofDiaspar

Height comparison with nearby towers, image from planning application

We'll be sure to watch this proposal work its way through the system, and will keep you updated as more news is released.