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This instalment of our Growth to Watch For series heads into one of Toronto's fastest growing neighbourhoods, exploring all the development happening in Midtown. Focused around Yonge Street, our overview will look at development happening in the Yonge-Eglinton district on the east and west sides of Yonge, before heading south through the dense neighbourhoods at Davisville and St. Clair Avenues.
The scale of development in this area is not without controversy. With the arrival of the Crosstown LRT in a few years, and the designation of Yonge-Eglinton as a growth centre in Toronto's Official Plan, the area has seen a flood of new proposals in recent years that would create a high-rise district to rival Downtown. Both the City and local residents have pushed back against many of the proposals over fears that the disappearance of office space and the cumulative density is too much for the area to handle. Needless to say, many of the projects listed below have either been approved by or are currently being contested at the OMB.
To give some perspective, all developments currently under construction or proposed in the immediate vicinity of Yonge and Eglinton represent a cumulative 1,133 storeys in height - roughly 8 times the height of the CN Tower - and a total of 12,242 new residential units. If everything is built as is, the potential population growth would propel Yonge-Eglinton to become one of the densest neighbourhoods in Canada, with an influx of upwards of 20,000 new residents over the next 10 years.
Without further ado, read on for an overview of all projects about to be completed, all buildings currently under construction, and all proposals planned for Midtown Toronto.
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Picking up where we left off on Bayview, we head west on Hillsdale to Mount Pleasant, then turn north for one block to Soudan, where we turn west again. Our first project in the busy Yonge-Eglinton precinct can be found at 200 Soudan Avenue. Here, The Benvenuto Group is proposing a pair of rental towers designed by Montreal-based NEUF Architect(e)s rising 25 and 20 storeys atop a shared 4-storey podium. Fronting Soudan at the corner of Brownlow Avenue, a total of 463 new residential units are proposed. An existing 19-storey slab apartment tower at 18 Brownlow will remain on site. The proposal is currently being contested by local residents and the City at the OMB—on several grounds, most relating to its scale—with a 9-day hearing scheduled to begin on July 31.
One block west at 11 Lillian Street, the Lash Group of Companies is preparing to build Distinction Condos, a 19-storey tower designed by Giannone Petricone Associates that will replace several single family homes on the site. Featuring a three-storey podium and a total of 159 units, the project is currently in sales.
Just across the street to the west, a tower-in-the-park infill project is planned by Shiplake with Lillian Park at 45 Dunfield Avenue. The project was approved for rezoning by City Council early last year with some adjustments to the original design, and recent drawings submitted to the City confirm that the proposal is for a pair of rental towers rising 26 and 24 storeys on the southern portion of the site. Initially designed by Kohn Shnier Architects and SMV Architects, the project architect now appears to be Rafael + Bigauskas Architects. The development comprises 519 new rental units, along with a child care centre in the 24-storey tower podium, a new privately-owned public space (POPS), and the retention of the City-owned Dunfield Park. First proposed back in 2013, the project is slowly making its way through the planning process.
One block further west, on the property bordered by Holly Street to the west, Soudan to the south, and Dunfield to the east, another tower-in-the-park infill is going into sales. Plaza Midtown is a two-tower development headed by Plaza and designed by Quadrangle Architects. The proposal was settled at the OMB last year, and was slimmed down from the initial proposal of two towers, a 6-storey mid-rise, and the addition of 5 storeys each on the two existing 14-storey apartment towers on the site. As approved, the two new towers will rise 34 and 27 storeys, and will add a total of 492 new condo units, with dedicated parkland replacing two single family homes at the south end of the site. The towers will abut onto the existing apartment buildings, which will otherwise remain untouched..
Heading north on Holly Street up to Eglinton, our next project has hit a major bump in the road with City Council rejecting State Building Group's 55 Eglinton East, a 47-storey condo tower proposed to replace an existing 8-storey office building on the site. Designed by Kirkor Architects, the 455-unit tower was refused on the basis that it failed to replace enough of the existing office space—a common issue the City has raised as they desperately try to maintain employment spaces in the district—and concerns that the height represented an overdevelopment of the site. The project has been appealed to the OMB and awaits a final decision from the province.
Turning east on Eglinton Avenue, more densification is planned at 150 Eglinton East, where Madison Homes is planning to replace an existing 10-storey office building with a 39-storey Quadrangle Architects-designed condo tower. The podium would contain a mix of retail and office uses on its bottom five storeys, while the residential tower portion would contain 411 new units with a funky split-face design. The development is currently seeking rezoning at the City.
Just down the street, Menkes Developments' The Eglinton is currently under construction, with work on the below-grade concrete structure now just reaching ground level. The Giannone Petricone Associates-designed tower at 161 Eglinton East will rise 33 storeys once complete, containing 443 new condo units and grade-level retail. Look for the tower to quickly rise out of the ground in the coming months, likely to top off early next year.
Several blocks east past Mount Pleasant Road, an application for a mid-rise was submitted last year by Sierra Building Group for 492 Eglinton East at the northeast corner of Cardiff Road. This 10-storey condo building is proposed to replace a group of single family homes. Designed by RAW Design, the development also includes a 4-storey townhouse building to the north, and totals 101 new residential units.
We now head one block north to Roehampton Avenue and turn back westward, arriving at Freed and Capital Developments' 155 Redpath Condominiums on the southeast corner of Roehampton and Redpath Avenue. The 34-storey tower is nearly topped off and is making its presence felt from quite a distance away, with exterior cladding installed more than halfway up the tower. Designed by architectsAlliance, the tower is bringing 446 new condo units to the area.
Directly across the street, excavation is well underway for 150 Redpath Condominiums, 155 Redpath's sister tower, also headed by Freed and Capital Developments and designed by architectsAlliance. The 38-storey tower will be slightly taller than its neighbour with 543 new condo units, and is scheduled for completion late 2018.
Continuing west, more densification of an existing apartment building site is planned for 89 Roehampton Avenue, where a 36-storey Quadrangle Architects-designed rental tower is proposed to be built adjacent to the existing 130-unit tower. Submitted by Pabs Corporation and Roehampton Apartments Ltd., the new tower would add 236 residential units to the site. The project is now at the OMB, where the City is arguing in opposition of the development.
Just down the street, a proposal was submitted late last year by Metropia and Capital Developments for 39-41 Roehampton Avenue, which would see a 48-storey tower replacing an existing 8-storey condo building on the site. Designed by TACT Architecture, the new tower would contain 617 new condo units, with a 12-storey podium, a new POPS leading to a connection to the nearby TTC subway station. The tower is directly adjacent to the E Condos rental tower, currently under construction, which will be covered later in this article.
We now head one block north to Broadway Avenue, beginning at 55 Broadway, where the Times Group is proposing a pair of 45-storey towers to replace two 4-storey rental apartment buildings on the site. Designed by Wallman Architects, one tower will contain 487 rental units, while the other tower will contain 557 condo units, both of which will be connected by a two-storey podium. The project is currently being contested at the OMB.
The slew of new buildings at Yonge-Eglinton are creating a dense forest of skyscrapers, but in some cases, even the existing buildings are growing taller! Such is the case at 66 Broadway, where Beaux Properties International is proposing to add an additional two storeys with 18 new rental units to the existing 20-storey building, bringing the total to 22 storeys and 374 units. In addition, a 4-storey stacked townhouse block is proposed to be built along the south side of the building containing a further 20 residential units. The development is designed by CS&P Architects and is currently working its way through the planning process.
Moving east down the street, at the southwest corner of Broadway and Redpath Avenues, a proposal by the Pemberton Group for 85-91 Broadway is evolving as it works its way through the planning process. Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, a recent resubmission of its rezoning application to the City has revealed a change in aesthetic and an increase in height from 34 to 38 storeys. The number of proposed condo units has also increased from 322 to 366 with the latest iteration.
On the northeast corner of Redpath and Broadway Avenues, yet another high-rise is proposed for the site at 223 Redpath/100 Broadway that would rise 34 storeys and contain 329 new residential units, including 52 rental replacement units. Designed by Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects, the tower would replace the existing 10-storey apartment building currently on the site.
Just across the street, on the southeast corner of Broadway and Redpath Avenues, construction on Pemberton Group's CityLights on Broadway is just now getting underway, with demolition and site clearing wrapping up and excavation set to begin. Designed by Wallman Architects, the project will see a pair of 34-storey towers constructed on the site comprising a total of 496 condo units. The development was recently featured in a Toronto Star series focusing on the impact of the OMB, highlighting in particular the lone house still standing on the corner who refused to sell, as CityLights was one of the first towers approved in the area back in 2013, and is unofficially credited for setting a precedent for the flood of proposals that has followed.
Continuing eastward, another development is proposed at 117-127 Broadway Avenue with a pair of towers rising 34 and 35 storeys that would replace the two existing 4-storey apartment buildings on the site. Designed by Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects, the towers would sit atop 5- and 7-storey podiums and would be connected by a 16-storey bridge building. The entire project comprises a total of 1,036 new residential units, including 131 rental replacement units, and is currently working its way through the planning process.
Moving east and then north on Mount Pleasant Road, a relatively modest proposal was submitted late last year for 14 Elvina Gardens, which would see a three-storey townhouse block constructed within a neighbourhood context. Designed by Keith Loffler McAlpine Architects, the development is an infill project that would replace an existing semi-detached dwelling fronting on Elvina Gardens, just east of Mount Pleasant, and would fill the space located behind the adjacent residential properties. The project would total 10 townhouse units, and would retain the existing semi-detached dwellings that surround the property.
Heading up to the next block, we turn west onto Erskine Avenue and come to 101 Erskine Condos, a 32-storey 421-unit tower just west of Redpath Avenue, headed by Tridel and Beaux Properties International and designed by CS&P Architects. The project also includes a 10-unit townhouse block adjacent to the tower. The development is now under construction, with the concrete structure now complete part way up the tower and cladding being installed on the lower floors. Look for the building to top off later this year.
Continuing west toward Yonge Street, a proposal for 18-30 Erskine Avenue was approved for rezoning at the OMB last year. The project has evolved since gaining approval, having changed ownership and architect, and is now headed by KG Group with a design by Kirkor Architects. The latest proposal would see a 35-storey tower constructed on the site, an increase from the previous 32 storeys, and would total 315 new rental units. The development is still working its way through the planning process.
Crossing Yonge Street, we continue west onto Roselawn Avenue. Past Duplex Avenue a development is proposed for 117-129 Roselawn that would see four blocks of 3-storey townhouses constructed on the site of four low-rise residential buildings. Designed by Drew Mandel Architect, the development would comprise a total of 12 units, three in each of the four blocks. The proposal is currently being appealed to the OMB by local residents.
Turning south on Avenue Road and heading back down to Eglinton, a controversial project by Terranata Developments at 346 Eglinton West is currently being decided at the OMB. The proposal for a 15-storey 112-unit tower designed by Rafael + Bigauskas Architects would replace some well-known neighbourhood establishments along the avenue, and also caused a stir when Metrolinx refused an offer from the developer to purchase the air rights over the nearby future LRT station in order to incorporate it into their building.
Heading back east along Eglinton, another tower is proposed by Madison Homes at 90 Eglinton West that would replace the existing 6-storey office building on the site. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the slow-moving proposal first appeared in 2014, and has undergone several revisions as recently as this year. Originally measuring in at 29 storeys, the latest iteration has reduced to a height of 24 storeys, with a reduction in residential units from 247 down to 227, and an increase in retail and office space integrated into the podium. Given the recent activity on the submission, it appears the developers are determined to get this project approved.
Just to the east at 36-44 Eglinton West, on the northeast corner of Duplex Avenue, a proposal for a 48-storey residential tower was given a favourable ruling at the OMB at a revised height of 39 storeys and a maximum of 320 dwelling units. Designed by Adamson Associates, the tower never progressed farther than the rezoning approval, and has seen no activity since 2014. However, the OMB ruling does allow the potential for future development on the site, especially with the flurry of activity happening in the area.
We now turn north on Duplex Avenue back to Roselawn, and head east to Yonge Street, where we begin our southward trek down Yonge, exploring all of the developments along this busy stretch from north of Eglinton down to Yorkville. We begin at 2444 Yonge Street, which recently made major headlines when developers Main and Main demolished without warning the historic 1907-built Bank of Montreal building on the site. Though it was legal, City staff and residents had long acknowledged the heritage value of the property. Initially, a proposal was submitted in 2014 for a 5-storey commercial building on the site that would have maintained the facade of the existing building, but the application was withdrawn and the property quietly sold last year to the current owners. No new proposal has been put forth for the site yet, despite the demolition already having been completed.
In addition to the now-demolished building at 2444 Yonge, developers Main and Main are also rumoured to have purchased the adjacent properties in an apparent move to consolidate the land. The properties purchased are reported to include 2444, 2440, 2430, and 2400 Yonge, and 35 Roselawn. This may signal a major development announcement coming in the near future.
One block south, on the south side of Montgomery Avenue, construction is well underway at Montgomery Square, a 27-storey luxury rental tower by Rockport Group that is preserving a portion of the heritage Postal Station K that exists on the site. The property is a National Historic Site of Canada as the location of an important battle of the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837. Designed by RAW Design, construction on the 233-unit building has now reached grade, so look for the tower to rise into the sky in the coming months.
Heading one further block south, we come to the future site of Whitehaus Condominiums, a project by Lifetime Developments and Knightstone Capital for a 29-storey tower at 2368 Yonge Street. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, the project will bring 366 new condo units to the area, with retail integrated into the podium at grade. Demolition of the existing buildings on the site is now complete, as construction crews eagerly await the go-ahead for excavation to begin.
We now come to the heart of the neighbourhood at the intersection of Yonge and Eglinton, where the transformation of the district will see its tallest and densest towers constructed. One of these projects is E Condos, a two-tower development on the northeast corner of the intersection headed by Bazis, Metropia, and RioCan and designed by Rosario Varacalli. The project will see a 58-storey condo tower constructed directly on the corner, with a second 38-storey rental tower constructed to the northeast and fronting onto Roehampton Avenue. Construction is well underway, with the concrete structure now several floors up the tower portion of the 58-storey building, while work on the second 38-storey building is now above grade with concrete being poured for the podium floor plates. The entire development will add 854 new residential suites to the area, with retail at grade and below grade, including a direct connection to the TTC subway and future Crosstown LRT stations.
Just across Eglinton from E Condos, on the southeast corner of the intersection, Davpart's 1 Eglinton East is proposed to replace the existing 8-storey office building on the site. Looking to outdo its neighbour for tallest tower in the area, 1 Eglinton East is proposed at 65 storeys (a reduction from its initial height of 68 storeys) and features an angular design from Hariri Pontarini Architects. The building would feature retail at grade and on the concourse level, with a TTC subway entrance and 8 storeys of office space in the base building, along with 660 condo units in the tower portion. The building is currently making its way through the planning process.
Directly adjacent to 1 Eglinton East, the height peak at Yonge and Eglinton continues with construction underway on Tower Hill Development's 2221 Yonge Condos, a 56-storey condo tower designed by Pei Partnership Architects—operated by the sons of starchitect I.M. Pei—with local firm Quadrangle Architects. The tower sits atop a 6-storey podium and comprises a total of 566 new condo units. With the previous building on the site having been demolished last year, the excavation is nearly complete now too, preparing the land for the tower to rise.
Continuing south, we come to Art Shoppe Condos by Freed Developments and Capital Developments at 2131 Yonge Street, where excavation is complete enough here too that two cranes where raised at the site last week. The 28-storey condo tower, designed by architectsAlliance, sits atop one corner of a U-shaped 12-storey base building and will total 623 new residential units.
Just down the street, Council approved a proposal back in 2015 for a 9-storey mid-rise condo at 2112-2114 Yonge Street on the corner of Hillsdale Avenue. The building is marketed as Uovo—Italian for egg—and will add 73 units to the busy stretch, featuring architecture from RAW Design. There has been no word yet on when this project will be moving toward construction.
Continuing south, Mattamy Homes and the Biddington Group are bringing J. Davis House to Midtown, a 9-storey mid-rise slated for the northeast corner of Yonge and Belsize Drive. Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, the building will bring 191 new condo units to the neighbourhood. Demolition of the existing buildings is just now beginning, with fencing up on site and crews setting up for the teardown.
Coming to the high-density Yonge-Davisville neighbourhood, a potential development site at 1945 Yonge Street has been the subject of speculation for several years now. Formerly home to an LCBO, the building has since been demolished—the first half in 2012 and the second half last year—and though it had been purchased by Times Development Corporation in 2011, a previously spotted For Sale sign on the property indicates it may have changed hands. There have been no proposals put forward yet, but the site offers a desirable development opportunity.
South of Davisville and just east of Yonge, Shiplake's 22 Balliol Residences is proposed for the site currently occupied by a Sobey's store. Featuring a design from gh3, the 38-storey tower will bring 425 new rental units to the area. And not to worry, the Sobey's will return to the location once the new building is complete, moving into a retail space in the podium that will be more than double the size of the current store.
Continuing south several blocks and passing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, a trio of high-density projects along Yonge Street just north of St. Clair Avenue have been dormant for a few years, though the potential for them to resurface still remains. First, a proposal for a 13-storey 97-unit rental apartment tower at 7 Heath Street East was revealed by Sweeny&Co Architects back in 2011, though nothing ever came of it despite the rezoning application still being active on the City's website today. One block south, a 7-storey retail and office building was proposed at 1507 Yonge back in 2010, but there has been no activity nor any development application since. Finally, just north of St. Clair, a massive proposal by Wittington was approved at the OMB in 2009 at 1481-1501 Yonge for three towers of 15, 16, and 37 storeys designed by architectsAlliance. The project, however, never progressed any further, and there has been no word since on whether or not the development will proceed.
To the south of St. Clair, a controversial development by Terracap is proposed for 1421 Yonge Street. Currently being opposed at the OMB by both the City and local residents, it originally measured in at 42 storeys. Rejected by City Council in 2015, the developers appealed to the provincial board, at which time they revised their proposal to increase the height to 46 storeys. The revised design from Wallman Architects reduced the number of residential units from 420 to 379 while adding 4 more storeys of office space in the podium levels. It will be interesting to see how this plays out at the OMB, given that the developers are presenting a revised design to the Board not previously reviewed by City staff.
One block south, a two-storey commercial building is proposed to replace the existing two-storey building at 1365 Yonge Street, on the northeast corner of Yonge and Rosehill Avenue. News of this development first surfaced in 2014, but there has yet to be an application submitted to the City.
Just south of Rosehill, construction is beginning on The Jack Condos, an 11-storey mid-rise at 1331 Yonge Street headed by Aspen Ridge Homes and designed by Quadrangle Architects. The building will contain a total of 149 condo units with retail integrated into the ground floor. Demolition of the existing buildings on the site was completed earlier this year, and shoring and excavation is now underway.
A little east of Yonge, a tower-in-the-park infill is proposed for a site at 44 Jackes Avenue where bclMC and Bentall Kennedy are planning to build Rosehill Tower, a 29-storey rental building set to join the existing 24- and 28-storey towers existing on the property. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the new tower would add 272 rental units to site, and would sit atop a 4-storey podium. An outdoor swimming pool located on the northwest corner of the site would be removed to make way for the new apartment tower, to be replaced with an indoor pool in a new amenity pavilion proposed between the existing towers.
Finally, we end off with a 5-storey commercial development proposed at 1190 Yonge Street, directly north of the CPR tracks. Headed by Raffmarr Holdings and designed by Detail Architect Inc, the proposal was submitted last year and is seeking site plan approval at the City.
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Our next Growth to Watch For story will continue south into Yorkville, exploring development in the trendy rapidly-growing neighbourhood. In the meantime, make sure to check out the dataBase files and associated Forum threads for each of the projects mentioned for more information. You can tell us what you think of all the developments happening in the city by joining the discussions in the threads, or by leaving a comment in the space provided on this page!
