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More three years after RioCan REIT first proposed a multi-building redevelopment of retail and restaurant pads beside the Cineplex Queensway location at Islington in Etobicoke, planning is advancing for the Core Architects-designed project. The developer and City of Toronto have reached a settlement on a revised proposal for 1001 The Queensway which will be presented for ratification to the Local Planning and Appeals Tribunal (LPAT) in April.
Like the initial proposal, the plan calls for two sets of paired buildings. At the corner of The Queensway and Islington, residential rental towers of 10 and 17 storeys will rise from a shared podium. To the west, towers of 9 and 10 storeys will also rise from a shared podium. A park of more than 1,800 m² will sit between them, next to the private road that enters the site.
The most dramatic change to the plan is the scaling back of the tallest tower from 20 storeys to 17, but all of the other three towers that were originally proposed at 12 storeys have also been reduced in height to between 36.9 and 39.5 metres, and now mirror the height of the Loggia Condominiums across The Queensway to the north.
The overall unit count has dropped from the 588 units originally proposed down to 545. The mix of suites has also changed, with three-bedroom suites up from 12 to 57, now representing 10.5% of the total unit count. The on-site park has grown from the originally proposed 1,343 m² to 1,850 m². The ground level of the buildings includes significant space for retail which could replace the restaurants and bank currently operating onsite, while the cineplex location will continue to operate on the south side of the lot beside the Gardiner Expressway.
Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
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