The beer store at 1580 Avenue Road could be replaced with a 7-storey condominium building. Located just north of Lawrence, the Page + Steele / IBI Group-designed project would bring density to a site currently occupied by the single-storey retailer and its parking lot. If the project is approved, however, the cold ones—and increasingly, the 'artisanal' and 'hand-crafted' ones—will still keep on coming. With a new 'Beer Boutique' proposed at ground-level, the building would see the retailer take on a more luxurious presence on Avenue Road. 

Looking west, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Proposed by Stafford Homes—a sister company of the Goldman Group—in association with Greybrook Realty Partners, the project would feature 70 residential suites, ranging from one to three bedrooms. The proposed unit mix includes 29 one-bedroom units, 32 two-bedroom units, and 9 three-bedroom suites. A total of 129 parking spots are proposed (102 of which would be reserved for residents), alongside only 57 bicycle parking spaces, reflecting the car-dominated character of the area. 

Looking southwest, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Along Avenue Road, a seven-storey frontage would meet the street with a mid-rise urban character. To the west, however, the massing gradually steps back to face the low-rise residential neighbourhood with a smaller scale. In what is likely an attempt to mitigate the impact of the building on the smaller streetscape, the upper levels would see some of the massing pulled back from the otherwise flat exterior. 

The site as it appears now, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Since the site sits on an area of significantly changing grade, significant parts of the "ground" floor would be below grade. According to a planning rationale prepared by Bousfields Inc., "[b]ecause of the change in grade, the first floor at the front will be completely below-grade at the rear and, as a result, the entrance into the residential component of the building will be located at the second storey on Bedford Park Road."

South elevation, image retrieved via submission to the City of Toronto

Along the more secluded western frontage, a 237 m² terrace is also planned as an outdoor amenity space. The terrace would be directly accessible from one of the building's indoor amenity spaces, with some 240 m² of indoor amenity areas slated. The Avenue Road and Bedford Park Avenue frontages would also both be improved by new landscaping—planned by MEP Design Inc.—with new rows of trees expected to line both streets. 

We will keep you updated as more information about the proposal becomes available, and the project begins to make its way through the planning process. In the meantime, make sure to check out our associated dataBase file, linked below, for more information. Want to share your thoughts about the development? Feel free to leave a comment in the space provided on this page, or join in the ongoing discussion in our associated Forum thread.