Following a February, 2018 LPAT appeal, the developer of an infill residential tower at 135-145 Portland has reached a settlement with the City, revising the design of the project to fit better within the King-Spadina Heritage Conservation district.

Looking south to 135 Portland, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Proposed by ADI Development Group in 2017, the plan aims to intensify a site currently home to a row of Gothic Revival townhouses, with a 16-storey residential tower above.

Designed by Core Architects, the updated version of the tower will be set back 3 metres from the roofline of the heritage homes, which will be retained in situ. Above from levels 4-6, the building will gradually be cantilevered forward, to align with the modern addition on the south side of the property. Levels 12-16 will step the building back further. 

Looking north-east to 135 Portland, image via submission to the City of Toronto

While the previous Quadrangle-designed massing had the building characterized by a tapered volume and pitched roofline, the new design is more rectilinear, with a façade treatment framing dark windows and private balconies with a grid-like pattern of white metal panels.

The gothic revival townhomes in their current state, image via Google Street View

The issue that led the development to an LPAT appeal was largely centred around securing a heritage easement to protect the properties at 139, 141, and 143 Portland Street, and to provide adequate setbacks. The original proposal only looked to retain one of the two townhomes, at 143 Portland as per the image below, in an altered form that was not consistent with its historical expression. (The furthest north Gothic Revival townhome at 145 Portland in not part of the land assembly.) The settlement, which satisfies these conditions and retains three townhome fronts, went before City Council’s Toronto Preservation board today, where it passed a motion to, among other things, place a Heritage Easement Agreement on the properties at 139, 141, and 143 Portland, which will govern the way that they will be incorporated into the redevelopment.

Street level of the original proposal, image via submission to the City of Toronto

117 units were proposed in the original application. Once the settlement has been ratified by the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, a full new set of documents will be submitted for Site Plan Approval; where an updated unit mix, material choices and other information about the final form of the development will be made more clear.

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 below.

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