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On Dupont west of Bathurst, another of Toronto's Beer Stores is set to make way for a more urban, street-oriented presence. Like soon-to-be redeveloped Beer Store locations on Avenue Road, Gerrard Street, the Queensway, and River Street, the 500 Dupont Street site is currently occupied by a single-storey shop and surface parking, a 20th century strip mall typology that offers little to the urban realm. As with the above-mentioned sites, a land sale brokered by Rosewater Capital has paved the way for a redevelopment, this time led by Lifetime Developments.
Following a rezoning and Official Plan Amendment first submitted to the City of Toronto in late 2015—and re-submitted in mid-2016—the recent Site Plan Application (SPA) advances plans for what is now a nine-storey, 145-unit condominium project, retaining design work by Core Architects.
Initially proposed as a 12-storey, 176-unit development characterized by a prominent series of stepbacks, a revised, scaled down design emerged through the planning process, with 2016's re-submission emerging via an OMB-mediated settlement with the City of Toronto. Although largely in keeping with the scope of the 2016 submission, the relatively minor changes to the plans include revisions to the unit mix and parking provisions.
Previously planned as a 146-unit development, one less suite is now tabled, with the unit mix calling for nine bachelor (6%), 89 one-bedroom (61%), 34 two-bedroom, and 13 three-bedroom suites. By contrast, the 146-unit iteration featured 13 bachelor (9%), 90 one-bedroom (61%), 28 two-bedroom (19%), and 15 three-bedroom (10%) units. A similarly limited change was made to the parking, with the two-level underground garage now planned with 123 spaces, instead of 128.
Two street-level retail spaces are planned, one of which is set to be occupied by a new Beer Store. (As with Rosewater's other Toronto Beer Store sites, the retailer retains a presence on the site, with some locations set to be re-branded under the more upscale 'Beer Boutique' banner).
Submitted as part of the SPA, new renderings give a better indication of the project's aesthetic. Rising from a flat and somewhat heavy three-storey podium, a C-shaped tower volume meets Dupont with two relatively slim frontages, while facing the rail tracks to the north with a flatter façade.
The project is one of several similarly scaled—and OMB-mediated—developments on this stretch of Dupont, with plans for nearby properties at 420, 740, and 840 Dupont, also underway. For a look at more development in the area, you can also check out our recent Growth To Watch For article covering the area. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the plans continue to advance. In the meantime, you can learn more 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.
