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Intention to Designate under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, Alterations to a Heritage Property and Authority to Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement - 425 Cherry Street

Summary
This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the listed heritage property at 425 Cherry Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, approve the alterations proposed for the heritage property in connection with a proposed development of the subject property and grant authority to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement for the subject property.

The property at 425 Cherry Street contains the former Palace Street School/Cherry Street Hotel. Built in 1859 as a single-storey "free" school to serve the former St. Lawrence Ward, Palace Street School was one of the earliest purpose-built schools constructed by the Toronto Board of Education. It was subsequently expanded with a second storey in 1869 prior to being sold in 1889, when a three storey addition was constructed and the building was converted for use as a hotel. In 1920, a three storey addition was added on the east façade, and the building was converted for office and warehouse use. In 1965, the Canary Grill relocated from Dundas Street West and University Avenue, operating out of the former hotel's first floor and remaining open until 2007. Through the latter half of the 20th century the building was used for a wide range of purposes, including manufacturing, creative uses, and studio apartments. The building is a representative example of the Jacobean and Queen Anne Revival architectural styles, and is associated with a number of significant people and organizations in the history of Toronto. It is a local landmark within the West Don Lands Neighbourhood as a gateway into the new mixed-use community, and is contextually linked to other properties within the area that reflect the neighbourhood's history and evolution from a working-class ward, to a railway and industrial district and up to the present day.

The development of an Indigenous Hub is proposed for 425 Cherry Street (also known as Block 10) of the West Don Lands, which is bounded by Front Street East to the north, Cooperage Street to the east, Mill Street to the south and Cherry Street to the west. A portion of the proposed development involves a new 13-storey building that connects to the east wall of the Palace Street School/Cherry Street Hotel and projects over the roof of the warehouse portion of the building. The impacts of the proposed development are appropriately mitigated through the overall conservation strategy.​
 


The Development and Timeline

One 11-storey rental building and one 12-storey condominium building, connected by an eight-story podium with one-level of underground parking is being constructed by EllisDon Corporation at 409 Front Street East. In addition, this site will also include a row of townhomes along Cooperage Street and a five-story building fronting Cherry Street. The site is bounded by Front Street East to the north, Cooperage Street to the east, Mill Street to the south and Cherry Street to the west. The development, in its completed form, will consist of two residential towers with a total of 400 dwelling units, a five-storey training and education centre and a row of townhomes along the Cooperage Street frontage. The development will include a one-level underground parking garage that will encompass the entire site. Three loading docks will also take access from Cooperage Street.

Major construction activities and associated timelines for the development are described below: 

Excavation and shoring: January 2021 to December 2021; 
Below grade formwork: September 2021 to October 2022; 
Above grade formwork: October 2022 to April 2023; 
Building envelope phase: April 2022 to April 2023; and 
Interior finishes stage: October 2022 to September 2024.

Based on the information provided by the developer, the entire site will be excavated lot line to lot line on all four sides to a depth of 6 metres from street level. The developer has advised that due to limited availability of space, all construction activities cannot be accommodated within the site. Therefore, occupation of the road right-of-way on Cooperage Street will be essential to set up construction staging operations for the development.

The construction staging area will be set up within the road right-of-way on the west side of Cooperage Street for a period of 41 months.
 


The Development and Timeline

One 11-storey rental building and one 12-storey condominium building, connected by an eight-story podium with one-level of underground parking is being constructed by EllisDon Corporation at 409 Front Street East. In addition, this site will also include a row of townhomes along Cooperage Street and a five-story building fronting Cherry Street. The site is bounded by Front Street East to the north, Cooperage Street to the east, Mill Street to the south and Cherry Street to the west. The development, in its completed form, will consist of two residential towers with a total of 400 dwelling units, a five-storey training and education centre and a row of townhomes along the Cooperage Street frontage. The development will include a one-level underground parking garage that will encompass the entire site. Three loading docks will also take access from Cooperage Street.

Major construction activities and associated timelines for the development are described below: 

Excavation and shoring: January 2021 to December 2021; 
Below grade formwork: September 2021 to October 2022; 
Above grade formwork: October 2022 to April 2023; 
Building envelope phase: April 2022 to April 2023; and 
Interior finishes stage: October 2022 to September 2024.

Based on the information provided by the developer, the entire site will be excavated lot line to lot line on all four sides to a depth of 6 metres from street level. The developer has advised that due to limited availability of space, all construction activities cannot be accommodated within the site. Therefore, occupation of the road right-of-way on Cooperage Street will be essential to set up construction staging operations for the development.

The construction staging area will be set up within the road right-of-way on the west side of Cooperage Street for a period of 41 months.

This seems like quite the leisurely pace for 12-storey buildings.
 

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