Just north of Queen, another Toronto Beer Store could be making way for redevelopment on River Street. As one of five Beer Store sites purchased by Rosewater Capital, the lot at 28 River Street is the latest to face a rezoning application, with a submission to allow a 15-storey mixed-use building recently submitted to the City of Toronto.

Looking southwest, image via submission to the City of Toronto

As with the Beer Store sites at 1580 Avenue Road (now known as Avenue & Park), 500 Dupont, and 784 The Queensway, Rosewater is partnering with another developer on the project. So far, however, the project's co-developer(s) is represented only by a holding company registered at the site's address.  

Aerial view of the site as it appears now, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Designed by RAW, the project calls for a total of 162 condominium units, with a 458 m² retail space replacing the site's commercial uses. As it stands, the 1,627 m² lot is fronted by the beer store's parking lot, with the retail space itself set back from the sidewalk, making for a relatively suburban street-level experience. By contrast, the development meets the street with a retail space and residential lobby—as well as a 6.1 metre driveway providing vehicular access from River Street at the southeast corner of the site. The Beer Store would be maintained as a tenant, similar to the plans for at least two of the above-mentioned projects.

Ground floor plan, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Past the River Street frontage, the remainder of the ground level is occupied by amenity space and grade-adjacent townhome suites, with an outdoor amenity space on the quieter west side of the site. Occupying the upper levels, the 162 residential suites are planned in a mix of (27) studio (17%), 78 one-bedroom (48%), 40 two-bedroom (25%), and 17 three-bedroom (10%) units. 

Looking south, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Below grade, a three-level parking garage holds a total of 77 spaces. Of these, 55 are earmarked for residents, with five spots each for visitor and retail uses. Finally, four car-share spaces are also planned. While the total ratio of vehicle spaces to units is just under 0.5, a larger allotment of bicycle spaces is planned, with a total of 212 spots proposed on the P1 and P2 levels. 

Looking southeast, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Architecturally, the building's relatively bulky massing is broken up by a series of articulated volumes. Attempting to create a less visually imposing addition to the area, the exterior treatments are characterized by the use of bright brick-pattern cladding, with the River Street frontage shaped by the orange-tinted brick accents. 

Looking southwest, image via submission to the City of Toronto

We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the planning process gets underway. In the meantime, you can learn more about about the project via our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment on this page, or join the ongoing conversation in our associated Forum thread.