After a few years of evolution, Plaza's plans for the Theatre District Hotel & Condos project at 30 Widmer Street in Toronto's Entertainment District is now seeking Site Plan Approval (SPA). The 48-storey, Quadrangle-designed condo and hotel tower was originally proposed as a 51-storey condominium tower in 2014. This plan was appealed to the OMB in late 2015, followed by revised resubmission in 2016 with a reduced height and much of the residential density replaced with a hotel component. An settlement between the City and developer was reached prior to a March 2017 OMB hearing, where it was given approval. Now, the long awaited application for Site Plan Approval has been filed with the City.

The new version rises 48 storeys, and 156 metres, 3.6 metres shorter than the original plan. Current plans divide the structure into three distinct elements; an 11-storey podium volume, a 17-storey lower tower volume, and a 20-storey upper tower volume.

Elevation diagrams for Theatre District Hotel & Condos, image retrieved from submission to City of Toronto

133 condominium units are now proposed on the upper 20 floors above a 328-room hotel on the first 28 storeys, a big change from the 489 condo units proposed in the original 51-storey 2014 iteration. (An interim iteration called for 131 condos and 353 hotel suites.)

The building’s condominium units are now planned in a mix of 38 one-bedroom suites with average sizes of 60 m², 76 two-bedroom suites with average sizes of 70 m², and 19 three-bedroom suites with average sizes of 87 m². These units would be served by a combined total of 436 m² of indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, both housed on the tower’s 29th floor where the north side of the tower will be sheltered but open-air.

Other changes include a reduction in gross floor area (GFA) by 3,200 m²—for a new total GFA of 27,441 m²—and the elimination of above-grade parking levels and a wraparound parking entrance off of Widmer Street. The resulting parking component has been reduced to just 66 spaces across five underground levels, with 18 serving the hotel component and 8 reserved for visitors. 134 bicycle parking spaces would also be provided for residents, at grade as well as within the underground garage.

Massing model for Theatre District Hotel & Condos, image retrieved from submission to City of Toronto

While architectural plans included as part of the SPA submission do not include high quality renderings, nevertheless a list of materials proposed to finish the building’s exterior are provided. They include brick for the first several storeys, precast concrete, vision glass, multiple tones of metal finishes, and fritted glass balcony railings. To meet the city’s bird friendly requirements, 85% of exterior glazing on the first 12 metres above grade will be finished with visual markers to reduce bird strikes.

Additional information including project facts and renderings can be found in our database file for Theatre District Condos, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.