A proposal was submitted to the City of Toronto Planning Department earlier this week for a 13-storey condominium and townhome development at 18 Eastern Avenue by the Alterra Group of Companies. The site is currently occupied by three low-rise buildings on the north side of Eastern Avenue between Gilead Place and Sackville Street in Toronto's Corktown neighbourhood. The recently opened West Don Lands neighbourhood is a block to the south. Plans call for the demolition of the existing structures which include a 1915-built three-storey brick commercial/residential building at 18-20 Eastern Avenue, and a one-storey brick commercial building at 28-32 Eastern Avenue with components built in 1919, 1920, and 1960.

18 Eastern Avenue, image retrieved from submission to City of Toronto

Designed by Teeple Architects, the new mixed-use project would feature 1,563 m2 of retail usage on the ground floor, with 381 condominium units above. Rising to a height of 49.6 metres including the mechanical penthouse level, the project would feature a bold exterior expression consisting of terra cotta, painted aluminium, insulated glass spandrel panels, and tempered laminated balcony glazing. The use of terra cotta is a reference to the tones seen on the existing row houses on the east side of Sackville Street, adjacent to the proposed structure. A series of extrusions help to articulate the building faces, while doubling as dividers between residential balconies.

Northwest view of subject site and surroundings, image retrieved from Apple Maps

The massing of the proposed structure features stepbacks above levels 5, 9, and 12 on the side fronting Eastern Avenue. The north side of the structure would step back above floors 3, 5, 9, 11, 12, and 13, creating a transition between the tower and lower-density land uses to the north.

18 Eastern Avenue, image retrieved from submission to City of Toronto

18 Eastern Avenue's 381 units would be divided between 255 one-bedroom, 110 two-bedroom, and 16 three-or-more-bedroom units. A collection of two-storey townhouses would line the ground floor of the Sackville Street and Gilead Place frontages. 

18 Eastern Avenue, image retrieved from submission to City of Toronto

The project would be served by a two-level underground parking garage containing 142 parking spaces, divided between 109 resident spaces and 33 visitor spaces. An additional 344 bicycle spaces will also be provided on levels 1, 2, P1, and P2, while one visitor car parking space will be situated at grade.

We will return with additional updates as new details about the project emerge. In the meantime, you can review current facts and renderings by visiting the project’s dataBase file, linked below. If you'd like to join in on the conversation, you can visit our associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

Related Companies:  Alterra Group of Companies, Arcadis, Bousfields, Live Patrol Inc., McIntosh Perry, Norris Fire Consulting Inc, Rebar Enterprises Inc