With major transit improvements on the horizon, the Yonge and Eglinton area has attracted the interest of countless developers, as new proposals continue to spell out a denser, more urban future for the Midtown neighbourhood. One of the most recent proposals to surface for the Yonge and Eglinton area comes from developer Times Group Corporation, who have purchased two 4-storey rental apartment buildings containing 130 rental units at 55 and 65 Broadway Avenue, with the intention to redevelop the site with two 45-storey residential towers.

Aerial view of 55 Broadway site, image by UT Forum contributor FromSmallTownToMidTown

The proposed Wallman Architects-designed towers would be connected by a 2-storey podium measuring 11.5 metres in height. The towers would each rise to heights of 155.35 metres including the mechanical penthouse. The north building—'Tower A'—would contain 487 rental units, which would include 130 rental units to replace the existing units housed within the four-storey structures. The south building—'Tower B'—would contain 557 condominium units. 

Axonometric view of 55 Broadway (represented in blue), image retrieved from the City of Toronto

The shared podium would be set back 7.8 metres from Broadway Avenue, with a 3.3 to 3.6 metre separation between the podium and the south property line, and an 11 metre separation from the east property line, allowing space for a residential entrance driveway connecting with a centralized drop-off area and underground parking ramp. The south end of the building would be set back 5.7 metres from the east property line.

The building's ground floor would rise 7 metres, and contain the residential lobby for Tower A, as well as through-access for Tower B. Directly adjacent to both towers' lobbies, the western portion of the ground level would serve as amenity space for both buildings. Outside, the development's Broadway Avenue frontage would feature landscaping and tree planting in a 7.8 metre-deep front yard.

Southeast facing view, street level, image retrieved from the City of Toronto

Above, the towers themselves would step back from the podium structure. Tower A would step back 5.5 metres from the podium at the east end, 1.5 metres to the north, and 8.5 metres from the west edge of the podium. To the south, Tower B would step back 6.0 metres from the wall of the podium building to the east, 1.5 metres from the south edge, and 8.5 metres from the podium's west wall. The step-backs are all meant to provide breathing room around the towers, allowing for some amount of sunlight and privacy for the future residents.

The north elevations, image retrieved from the City of Toronto

A separation distance of 21.5 metres is proposed between the two towers, accommodating a central outdoor amenity area located on the roof of the podium building. Both towers would also include indoor amenity space on their third floors, providing direct access to the outdoor space. In addition, private terraces are proposed on the roof of the podium building for each residential unit on the third floor. For the terraces located along the west faces of the towers, additional screening would enhance privacy.

Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.