Back in early 2013 in North Toronto, plans were revealed for an ambitious avant-garde condominium project at 2779 Yonge Street, a short distance south of Lawrence. The 10-storey residential development—then known as 'Alaska'—from developer Bianca Pollak and architects Will Alsop of ALL Design working with local firm Quadrangle, was originally proposed with cantilevered upper levels, before evolving to remove the cantilever and add shots of colour to the mix. After being appealed to the OMB, a settlement was reached in 2016 to permit a 9-storey building on the site. The site is now in the hands of Devron Developments, who submitted a completely new application for Site Plan Approval (SPA) earlier this month. 

2013, 2014, and 2018 iterations of the project, images via submission to City of Toronto

The new plan blends a traditionally styled base with terraced upper levels. Architectural plans show a height of 34.15 metres measured to the top of the mechanical penthouse, while also offering details for the exterior finishes that would be used. These include a mix of light-hued brick, stone and granite accents, and charcoal grey aluminum window frames surrounding clear glazing for the base. Above, the upper three residential levels would be finished in a mix of clear glazing and charcoal grey metal panels.

Materials planned for The Winslow, image via submission to City of Toronto

The plan proposes a total of 97 residential units, consisting of 28 rental replacement units and 69 condominium suites, proposed in a mix of 19 one-bedroom layouts with average sizes of 71 m², 77 two-bedroom layouts with average sizes of 116 m², and a single 226 m² three-bedroom suite. The 28 rental replacement units would be housed on the 2nd and 3rd floors, with condominium units on the levels above. At street level, the building would contain 323 m² of street-fronting retail space, as well as five double-storey townhomes at the east side of the property, helping to transition the massing down to the established low-rise homes to the east.

Residents would access the building through a sheltered entrance area carved into the first two floors. Here, entrances to the east and west sides of the building bring residents to separate elevator banks, lobby spaces, and 391 m² of amenity space, divided between 197 m² of indoor space and 194 m² of outdoor space on the first and second floors.

A three-level underground garage would serve the building, housing 136 parking spaces split between 101 resident spaces, 10 visitor spaces, and 25 spaces for use by visitors to the adjacent Sheridan Nurseries garden centre.

Additional information and images, including renderings of the previous plan, 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 in the field provided at the bottom of this page.