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Developer Shiu Pong has its sights on developing a corner on College Street, and has submitted an application to amend the Zoning By-law to permit a 19-storey condo tower where a small rental building currently exists. It will require the demolition of 15 existing units located at the subject site, addressed as 231-237 College and 177-189 Huron Streets.
As indicated in the photo below, the site is currently occupied by two 3-storey multi-unit rental buildings with garden-variety retail uses at grade—including sushi/pita/variety store—and a surface parking lot located at the eastern and southern portions of the site.
The proposal calls for a 19-storey mixed use building consisting of an 8-storey podium with a tower above. Approximately 386 square metres—a small portion of the total gross floor area of 13,190 square metres—will be dedicated to non-residential floor area, likely retail at grade. The overall building height proposed is approximately 58 metres, plus mechanical penthouse. There would be a total of 158 residential dwelling units. The applicant also proposes to replace the existing 15 rental units (which are currently at affordable and mid-range rents) in the new development with units of a similar size and type, their rents maintained at a similar level for a specific time period.
Kirkor Architects and Planners are designing the building. The architectural elevations and site plan attached below give a sense of the scope of the project.
The primary reasons for requiring an amendment to the Zoning By-law are that the proposed building's height and density exceed the maximums as prescribed for the site. The majority of the subject site is zoned to permit a range of residential and commercial uses to a maximum height of 16.0 metres, while the proposed building is 19-storeys or 58 metres in height; and, the proposed construction's density of 9.5 times the lot area exceeds the 3.0 times the lot area density permitted. An Official Plan Amendment application is also required to redesignate the portion of the site (Huron Ave) designated Neighbourhoods to Mixed Use Areas. Amendments to allow for additional density and height in this city are par for the course, with virtually every new project requiring them. The question is not whether new development will require more height and density than allowed, but how much more.
In February 2012, Council directed City Planning staff to study the policy context for College Street, generally from University Avenue to Bathurst Street, and report back on findings along with recommendations for a community consultation process. In order to support the institutional character of the area, the study will address: land use and how to support the inclusion of institutional uses within mixed-use buildings; building scale and height; and, public realm, including special places and pedestrian improvements. This development proposal will be evaluated within the context of this study.
Development in the vicinity is as follows: the north side of College Street forms part of the University of Toronto's St. George Campus and includes a mix of buildings ranging in height from 4 storeys to 13. The area immediately south of the site is comprised of low density residential uses. Both to the east and to the immediate west of the subject site are a number of mixed use buildings ranging in height from 3 to 5 storeys.
A community consultation meeting is targeted for the fall of 2013. The College Street study will be advanced prior to concluding the application review for this development proposal.
| Related Companies: | Egis, KIRKOR Architects and Planners, Peter McCann Architectural Models Inc., U31 |
