A proposed mixed-use building in Toronto's Corktown neighbourhood has changed several design features—including density—after the City released its Preliminary Report in March earlier this year. Downing Street Capital intends to build 25 live/work units, office space, and retail units in place of an existing 3-storey commercial building just north of Queen at 191 Parliament. The redevelopment is designed by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc.

The Parliament Street frontage showing reduced massing. Rendering by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc.

We reported on the proposal in January as a 12-storey project with street-level retail, four floors of office space, and 30 live-work units. On October 23, Bousfields Inc. submitted a new application for the site that will reduce its imposition onto the predominately low-rise residential neighbourhood and will more adequately support the needs of the future tenants. The change comes after the developers met with City Staff, attended a community consultation meeting, and reviewed comments from various departments and agencies.

191 Parliament redevelopment new proposal versus old. Renderings by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc.

The revised proposal is for an 11-storey (including a wrapped mechanical penthouse/amenity level) mixed-use building comprised of 30 live/work units, approximately 4,525 sq. metres of office space, and approximately 426 sq. metres of retail. The resulting proposal is a decrease of density from 6.43 to 6.17 times the area of the lot. The reduction in density will translate as smaller live/work units and 79 sq. metres less for the office spaces, but an increase of 172 sq. metres for the retail units.

Instead of 12 storeys with a 4-storey podium, the building has been reduced to 11 storeys with a 3-storey podium. Additionally, the levels have been given increased stepbacks than the original: the rear yard setback increased to 10.3 metres, the 11th floor stepback 4.9 metres, the 8th floor stepback 3 metres, and a stepback of 3 metres was introduced at the 4th floor on the street side. As a result, the building takes on a massing that is more typical of a mid-rise building. This height is four storeys less than the Moss Park Apartments on the west side of Parliament Street and is more compatible with the adjacent 7-storey building to the north. The reduced building height is less than buildings proposed for Parliament south of Queen within the King-Parliament Secondary Plan Area, and is similar to the heights of the mid-rise buildings fronting on Parliament further north of Dundas and associated with the Regent Park redevelopment.

191 Parliament resubmitted to City with increased setbacks. Rendering by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc.

The 11th floor will serve as an amenity space for the live/work units, and is comprised of an indoor amenity room adjacent to a terrace and green roof. There was no amenity given for the original proposal, and this 191 sq. m indoor and 97 sq m. outdoor space is well in excess of standard amenity spaces.

As part of a revised landscape design by Marton Smith Landscape Architects , high quality plantings with 50% native species have been incorporated to contribute to the public realm. A dog relief station has been added at grade on the east side of the building along the back laneway.

We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the development continues to take shape. In the meantime, you can find more information in our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment in the space below this page, or join the conversation in our associated Forum thread.