Twenty years ago, the building stock in Toronto's Entertainment District looked much like it did fifty years and longer ago, mostly a realm of low and mid-rise commercial buildings with some Victorian houses mixed in. Over the years since, modern towers have been populating the area, gradually weaving in amongst the heritage stock. Preservation of warehouse facades have been integral in this transition, with the latest such project happening at 19 Duncan Street.

19 Duncan, image via submission to City of Toronto

The Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT development is currently under construction at the southwest corner of Adelaide and Duncan, having begun last year with preliminary work on the 1908-built Southam Press Building to save its west and north walls. The conservation and restoration plan tasked to heritage specialists ERA Architects, the building's north and west facades have been retained in-situ, supported by a lattice of steel beams anchored for the time being over sidewalk space, while the rest of the building has been demolished. The exterior walls will come to life again as the street frontage for the new Hariri Pontarini Architects-designed 58-storey office, residential rental, and now hotel tower that will rise behind them. Portions of the south and east elevations will also be partially reconstructed.

Looking west across site of 19 Duncan, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Following the installation of steel bracing to support the facades, work began on the site's underground shoring system, and has most recently started on excavation: over the next few months, crews will dig down five storeys to create space for the building's foundations, 4-level underground garage, and a health club.

Excavation at site of 19 Duncan, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Behind the scenes, a recent application has been submitted to the City's Committee of Adjustment for minor variances from what's already approved. The most obvious one on the building's exterior is to expand the 10th level along its south side by about 246 m², taking over some space that was originally a terrace above the 9th floor. Seen in light blue in the northeast-facing image below, the addition makes all of the 10th floor into office space plus commercial tenant terrace space, to add to the offices on floors 2 through 9. They are to be the new Toronto home of news media giant Thomson Reuters, who are expected to begin their 12-year, $100-million (USD) lease in early 2021.

Changes to 19 Duncan's massing in blue, image via submission to City of Toronto

In turn, with the loss of some residential amenity space on the 10th level, 4 levels near the top of the tower are being turned from rental apartment uses into hotel uses in keeping with the City's requirement of amenity space for each residential unit. With no other changes to levels 52 through 55—the 40 hotel suites will be the same size and layout as the 40 rental units they are replacing—the differences will likely only be in their tenancy as extended stay suites, and that they would be pre-furnished. 

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.

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