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When the Lawrence Subway Station opened in 1973, it significantly increased the value and demand for office space, leading to the construction of a six-storey office building on the northwest corner of Yonge and Lawrence, 3080 Yonge, which was completed in 1975.
The building was originally skinned in brick cladding laid with mortar known as 'sarabond' in a design typical of 1970s low-rise office properties, but in the coming years, tastes would change and the building's sarabond mortar would suffer from various longevity issues, leading to the need to modernize the property. The building was subsequently reclad in stone and gold-tinted glass, and has remained that way since.
Times and tastes have continued changing and First Capital, the owners of 3080 Yonge, are looking to modernize their property yet again to reflect modern aesthetics and urban design. First Capital and architects Kasian are aiming to not just reclad 3080 Yonge, but also to improve its pedestrian realm and transit accessibility through a number of upgrades.
First Capital wants to bring a lot more natural light to the pedestrian realm, much of which is currently darkened by a low arcade. They also plan to convert the ground floor to support two-storey retail frontages, as well as integrate the existing subway station entrance into the building's envelope and provide barrier-free access to Lawrence station.
The redevelopment also calls for the addition of over 19,000 square feet of new floor space to the existing 227,000 square feet, mostly through enclosing the building's internal retail courtyard as well as through the internalization of the Yonge Street arcade. The plan is to bring a new urban grocery store to the location in place of the current difficult-to-lease spaces which face inwards toward the courtyard.
The underutilized courtyard is accessed via either a small breezeway leading in from the northwest corner of Yonge and Lawrence, as well as a much larger and wider entrance via the building's Yonge Street arcade.
We will be keeping an eye on 3080 Yonge Street, and we will be sure to provide additional updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, you can join the discussion by visiting the associated Forum thread, or by leaving a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.
