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Initially proposed in 2014, plans for a 26-storey tower at 99 Sudbury Street in Toronto's West Queen West neighbourhood are back in motion this year, with a recent community meeting bringing to light a revised design for the project. Designed by Giannone Petricone Associates, the building's lower levels would be occupied by a hotel, restaurant, and event space, with the bulk of the tower given over to condominium units.
Located just north of the rail corridor, the development's site is somewhat irregular in shape. Since the corridor narrows and turns slightly to the north immediately to the south of the site, the tower's slender western elevation gradually opens up to a wider frontage to the east. The shape of the site is reflected in the tower, which gradually broadens from a narrow western point as the width of the site extends.
In a revision of the previous proposal, the scale of the project has been slightly tweaked. While the 26-storey height—which would make the tower taller than its immediate neighbours—remains the same, both the podium and the tower floorplates have been reduced in size, with the number of residential units brought down from 209 to 190.
Three-bedroom units have also been introduced to the building, with 21 of the family-friendly suites (11% of total units) now planned for the development. This change reflects City Planning's initiative to address a shortage of family housing in Toronto's new build condominiums, which continue to be dominated by one-bedroom units.
Notably, the current proposal would also incorporate an extension of the West Toronto Railpath, with the cyclist and pedestrian now proposed to run south of the tower, directly overlooking the rail corridor beneath. This alignment allows part of the Railpath to sit atop the 2 metre wide crash wall—a requirement for all new development facing the tracks—separating the tower from the railway, making for a spatially efficient configuration.
Above the 4.5 metre-wide Railpath, the podium's 'mezzanine' level has been re-designed to facilitate a future connection to the King HighLine, which would see a further elevated bridge—and green space—provide a pedestrian connection over the rail corridor. While the HighLine proposal has yet to be formally approved, 99 Sudbury's design has been adjusted to allow a convenient point of connection if the project comes to fruition.
At the base of the tower, no hotelier has been announced as the operator as of yet, but there are hints that a boutique chain wants to operate in this hip West Queen West location. Further details on the hotel and restaurant are not expected until the proposal is substantially further through planning and construction. As part of the recent revisions, however, we now know that a widening of the sidewalk along Sudbury Street is planned, while street-level parking has been removed. The developers are also willing to fund additional landscaping on the north side of the street.
Above, the tower's floorplates have been shifted west and slightly reduced from 800 m² to 750 m², with the diminished massing presented as a response to previous community concerns about the project's potentially excessive scale. Though the project has been altered, the 26-storey tower's 90.5 metre height is likely to remain a point of contention throughout the planning process, particularly since a relatively clear height precedent of approximately 21 storeys has been set by recent built form in the immediate area.
We will keep you updated as details of the development—including the principals involved—continue to emerge. In the meantime, make sure to check out our associated dataBase page for more information. Feel free to share your thoughts about the project by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page, or by joining in the conversation on our associated Forum thread.
| Related Companies: | Giannone Petricone Associates |
