While the Lawrence and Don Mills area might not come to mind as one of Toronto's high-rise development hotspots, the 1960s suburban low and mid-rise neighbourhood has been seeing significant redevelopment in recent years. Following the 2009 opening of The Shops at Don Mills complex, the area has seen projects such Reflections Residences, Liv Lofts, and the under-construction Flaire—all three developed by Fram and Cadillac Fairview, with the more recent two designed by Giannone Petricone—introduce a denser residential character to the community.

Immediately to the north of these developments, details of a new Cadillac Fairview proposal at 169 The Donway West have come to light, with plans for two Hariri Pontarini-designed towers submitted to the City. At 34 and 39 storeys, the towers would be the tallest presence in the area by some distance, and would add a distinctly urban character to the streetscape.The south elevation, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

With the project still in the early stages of the City's planning process, the development's finalized details have yet to take shape. While an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Amendment Application has been submitted to the City, the plans so far remain subject to change, and may not reflect the final scope or aesthetic of the project.

As currently planned, the towers rise from a shared, two-storey base, with a total of 736 units and a total of 55,774 square metres of residential floor area planned for the development. While the majority (72%) of residential suites are planned as 532 one-bedroom units, the development proposes a relatively healthy ratio of three-bedroom suites, with 73 of the larger homes planned, representing 10% of total units. The remaining 131 suites are planned as two-bedroom units, which would make up 18% of all suites.

In addition, 2,987 square metres of retail/commercial space is planned for the base of the towers. The 34 and 39-storey buildings are set to rise to heights of 111.5 and 126.5 metres respectively, with a separation of approximately 26 metres between the buildings, and the towers sited so as to not block the views from the units of either building with the other.

The site plan for the development, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

Currently a vacant lot, the 0.82 hectare (2.0 acre) area—previously occupied by a Canada Post office branch—has remained empty as nearby new developments continue to re-shape the area. The 15-storey Flaire is now rising immediately south of this site, while further south are Reflections—the first of the new residential at the Shops at Don Mills—and the recently completed Liv Lofts, a conversion of an office tower to residential.

The site as it appeared in May 2015, image retrieved via Google Maps

As the proposal takes shape, City Staff will schedule a community consultation meeting with local councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25). With the proposal still in its early stages, it is possible that the massing and design may evolve as the development works its way the City's planning process.

The west elevation, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

We will make sure to keep you updated as the project continues to take shape over the coming months. In the meantime, make sure to check out our dataBase file, and our associated Forum thread for the most up-to-date information. Want to share your thoughts on the project? Feel free to leave a comment in the space below this page, or join in on the discussion in our associated Forum thread.