On the south side of College Street, the long-standing Azores Auto Group car dealership could be making way for a new development by the Clifton Blake Group. Submitted to the City of Toronto on July 13th, a rezoning and Site Plan Approval (SPA) application outlines plans for an 8-storey mixed-use building, featuring a combination of street-level retail, residential condominiums, rental apartments, and rental replacement suites. 

871 College Street, Toronto, by Clifton Blake Group, Studio JCI, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Designed by Studio JCI, the project is characterized by an articulated brick frontage, which picks up on the rhythm and materiality of College Street's fine-grained retail character. Above street level, six brick volumes introduce subtle tonal variety, while the angular brick cladding across the inset balconies adds a sense of depth to the College Street frontage.

Looking southeast, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Alongside the low-slung showroom's surface parking, which occupies much of the lot, the east end of the long site at 871-899 College Street is also occupied by a narrow residential building. West of the dealership, a pair of house form structures fill out the site, while a three-storey commercial edifice lines the south end of the parking lot, backing out onto a public laneway. 

3D aerial view, image via submission to the City of Toronto

The 13 residential units currently spread across three buildings would be replaced by new rental suites on the second floor. Located above the 1,746 m² of retail space—and the residential lobby—fronting College Street, the rental replacement suites would be joined by 95 new rental suites, as well as 23 condominiums, making for a total of 131 units. 

Looking west, image via submission to the City of Toronto

According to the project's planning rationale, "the condominium units consist of 18 one-bedroom suites, 2 two-bedroom suites, and 3 three-bedroom suites," and "the new rental units consists of 70 one-bedroom suites, 12 two-bedroom suites, and 13 three-bedroom suites." Finally, the 13 rental replacement units come in a mix of "7 one-bedroom units, 5 two-bedroom units and 1 three-bedroom unit."

Cross-section view, showing the angular plane to the south, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Below grade, a single level of parking is planned, with a total of 57 spaces, 47 of which are devoted to residents. In addition, bicycle storage space would be provided on both the ground floor and the underground parking garage.

We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the planning process gets underway. In the meantime, make sure to check out our Database file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment on this page, or join the ongoing conversation in our Forum.