During a community consultation meeting held last night in Parkdale, Ward 14 Councillor Gord Perks, community planner Alice Hug, Bousfields planner Peter Smith and Core Architects' Charles Gane gave the King and Dufferin area residents more details about the proposed redevelopment of two sites located at 1182 & 1221 King Street West. The occasion also presented an opportunity for those who live in the neighbourhood to share their feelings about the project with planners, architects, and City officials. 

Aerial view of the site, looking southeast, image courtesy of Core Architects

On the northeast corner of King and Dufferin (the left tower, above), Lifetime Developments has proposed a 73-metre high condominium building composed of a 440 units, 363 of which would be one-bedrooms, with 47 two-bedrooms and 34 three-or-more-bedroom units. The 21 storeys first six floors would consist of a podium, with the ground level housing five retail spaces, fronting on King Street West. Residents would have access to 271 vehicle parking spots and 395 bicycle parking spaces, while visitors and retail customers would share 64 car spots and 78 bike parking spaces. 

Aerial view of the proposed podium on the north side of King Street, image courtesy of Core Architects

Across the street, on the southwest site (above), a 19-storey, 67-metre high tower has been proposed, adding 301 condominium units to the area. Once again, one-bedroom dwellings are in majority with 217 units. 42 Two-bedrooms and another 42 three-bedroom units will occupy the rest of the building. Similarly to its northeast counterpart, the tower section of the building would rise atop a six-storey base with five retail units fronting King Street West on the ground floor. Residents would also have access to 183 and 375 vehicle and bike parking spots respectively, while visitors and retail customers will share the remaining 56 and 132 spots.

Aerial view of the proposed podium on the south side of King Street, image courtesy of Core Architects

From an architectural point of view, Charles Gane defined both buildings as high-end residential towers, with glass and bricks wrapping up the concrete structures, the latter being reminiscent of the surrounding warehouses and victorian homes. Still, according to Gane, several stepbacks would ensure the transition between the high-rises and the areas to the west. Also, it was highlighted that the Bank of Montreal building located on the southwest corner of the intersection would remain as is and will not be impacted by the development. Finally, it remains unclear whether both towers will be constructed at the same time or not. 

Aerial view of the proposed developments, looking northeast, image courtesy of Core Architects

Community planner Alice Hug expressed the City's desire to expand the Dufferin-King Parkette adjacent to the property to the south by retrieving a section of the land. However, residents expressed their concerns regarding the added density to the already crowded King Streetcar and Dufferin Bus, and the already chaotic state of vehicular traffic in the area.

Many considered the heights of both buildings inappropriate for the area, as they would create important shadow impacts for the townhouses situated behind the northeast property. The transition towards the rest of the area was also highlighted as an important issue amongst residents, due to the fact that from Dufferin Street westwards, King Street is not zoned to allow for large scale development.

Current site on the northeast corner of the King and Dufferin intersection, picture taken by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Finally, residents attracted the attention of developers towards the fact that the construction of luxurious tall buildings in Parkdale might change the architectural character and social diversity of their neighbourhood, pointing out the lack of affordable housing units in the project. While councillor Gord Perks did not express his support to the development in its current form, he specified his willingness to see these valuable properties redeveloped. The properties are amongst King Street's last suburban-style, car-centric plazas, embodying a form that is becoming increasingly obsolete in the changing city.

Current site on the southwest corner of the King and Dufferin intersection, picture taken by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Another community meeting will happen in the upcoming months to determine the future of both the project and Parkdale. Meanwhile, more renderings and information are available on the dedicated dataBase page for this project. If you want to share your opinion about this development, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page, or participate in the associated Forum thread, linked below. 

Related Companies:  BVGlazing Systems, Core Architects, Groundwater Environmental Management Services Inc. (GEMS), LEA Consulting, Live Patrol Inc., McIntosh Perry, Myles Burke Architectural Models, Snaile Inc., Turner Fleischer Architects, Vortex Fire Consulting Inc.