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To the immediate southwest of Toronto's historic Distillery District are four properties on Parliament Street; 31, 31R (for rear), 33, and 37.
A few years ago now, the wheels of the development process started rolling for 31R Parliament by Cityscape and Dream, the same developers as the Distillery itself: a settlement was recently reached for this site to permit a 49-storey tower, and a 5-storey 'ribbon building' which would be built along the whole south side of the Distillery between the existing buildings and the rail corridor. Thirteen months ago, a proposal for another 49-storey tower at 31 Parliament was submitted to the City by another development team: it has since been appealed to the OMB for a lack of decision by the City. Now, following a submission to the City by Graywood Developments for a 39-storey building with a 15-storey podium, 33 and 37 Parliament are in play. If all three developments are eventually approved, it will make for a small but densely built-up pocket of tall towers.
Pictured above is the recently approved massing for Cityscape and Dream's 31R Parliament, designed by KPMB Architects. The 5-storey ribbon building along the south side of the Distillery District will add new retail at ground level, and four storeys of office above. The 49-storey residential tower rises at the west end of the ribbon. Also pictured in the image above are the existing 40-storey Clear Spirit condos, centre-left, and 35-storey Gooderham condos, far left.
To the west of the ribbon building and tower is 31 Parliament, shown in yellow. Proposed by a numbered Ontario company, it has now appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board for a lack of a decision from the City. Designed by Arquitectonica and Kirkor Architects, the building steps dramatically to the east on its upper floors. The purple building to the left of it is the earlier 57-storey version of the 31R Parliament proposal before a settlement was reached. The purple buildings behind it are approximated massings for a future development on the other side of the Gardiner Expressway.
Now, the newly submitted 33 Parliament is proposed on the adjacent properties currently occupied by single storey buildings, closer to the viewer in the image above. From this vantage point the 39-storey tower would cover some of the the gap between 31R and 31, partially hiding some of the yellow 31 tower. Below is a ground-level view of it, looking across the park, and from the same direction.
Designed by architectsAlliance, the 39-storey glass tower rises from a 15-storey brick-fronted podium. The brick is exterior, mostly free of balconies, sports a checkerboard of punched windows. The mass, material, and pattern are meant to evoke the industrial architecture of the Distillery District's Victorian buildings. Retail at ground level would both animate the woonerf-style plaza, and provide convenience for residents.
622 residential units are planned in the tower and podium, with 262 parking spaces planned for an underground garage, along with 623 bicycle parking spaces. The proposed unit mix is for 23 studio units, 341 one-bedroom units, 198 two-bedroom units and 60 three-bedroom units. As this is the initial application, it should be expected that a number of details and the architectural design may evolve over the course of the planning process.
Want to know more? You'll find more information in our database file for the developments, linked below. You can get in on the conversations in the associated Forum threads, or you can leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
