4.5K 
In addition to large scale development projects like The Well, Allied Properties and RioCan REIT are still doing a number of smaller scaled projects unique to their niche style of development; restoring heritage properties and repurposing them as brick-and-beam office and retail/restaurant space. Now being completed, their project at 642 King St West, near King and Portland, reconfigures a heritage commercial building once home to a piano factory, into a mixed-use building with office and restaurant offerings that will cater to the surrounding revitalized King West neighbourhood. The restoration updates the facade of the building, opened up the office floorplates, improved access to a pedestrian laneway along the east side of the building, and adds three restaurant spaces to the ground floor.
In updating the property, with the restoration design by Sweeny & Co., one of the developers' goals was to make it more accessible. This meant that a number of structural elements would need to be altered to bring the building up to code. In order to bring the previously raised entrances down to grade, contractors needed to pour three new ground floor slabs to compensate for the sloping grade on the site.
In addition to the structural elements, the restoration of the heritage property brought a number of unique design features to modernize the property. Two large arched windows were installed for the retail entrance on the King-facing streetwall to open up the retail space to pedestrians. In order to do this, the developer needed to remove the stairwell previously occupying this prime real estate, moving it towards the rear of the building.
Also revitalized in the update is the carriageway that runs between the King Street facade and the back alleyway. This pathway was originally included in the 1894-constructed building to allow horse-drawn carts to pass to the north side of the property. The arched walkway itself has been outfitted with perforated metal panels and integrated lighting, giving an inviting and unique welcome to the retail offerings ahead. Laneway restaurant and retail spaces have popped up along King West in recent years, altering the way pedestrians explore the neighbourhood. Allied is capitalizing on this trend by creating a number of mid-block pedestrian connections in the King-Portland area, with the improvements here set to work in tandem with the pedestrian laneways of the adjacent King Portland Centre.
Upscale pizza bar 'The Parlour' is leasing the ground floor space at the end of the laneway, another restaurant will face the laneway, and the third will face King Street. Above, San Francisco—based software company Okta has leased the three floors of office space.
The developers also partnered with The Steps Initiative, a Toronto-based non-profit whose mission is to animate Toronto's Downtown with eye-catching art installations. Also responsible for the 23-storey Equilibrium Mural featured on the Parkside Student Residence at Jarvis and Carlton, The Steps Initiative here enlisted local artist Nicholas Alfalfa to create "Deer Diana", a sketched mural of a woman-deer hybrid located in the alleyway along the building's east facade.
Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
* * *
UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for a free trial of our New Development Insider here.
