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A plan by Menkes Developments to redevelop a block of Yonge Street just north of Bloor in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood has evolved yet again. The latest application seeks Site Plan Approval for the proposed condominium tower at 771 Yonge, now featuring a revised design from Giannone Petricone Associates along with a slight increase in height over the previous version.
Originally proposed as a 49-storey tower back in 2016, it was revised to 48-storeys later that year. A new plan was tabled in 2017, with a brand new design and a reduced height of 26 storeys. Over two years later, the latest submission details plans for a 25-storey building with a completely reimagined exterior treatment. A change in floor heights from the previous submission results in an 85-metre height, increasing from the previously-proposed 78 metres.
As with previous versions of the proposal, the plan calls for the retention of the existing building at 771 Yonge Street, an 1872-built three-storey commercial building originally operated as a hotel. A retention plan from heritage specialists GBCA Architects calls for the rehabilitation and integration of the existing building, which includes a restoration of the modified at-grade retail entrances and exterior masonry. A rear addition fronting Asquith Avenue and a south side addition fronting Yonge would both be removed.
The new exterior design largely retains a similar rectilinear massing from the last proposal, but with a radically-altered exterior. In place of the last version’s projecting rectilinear volumes, the revised plan features sections of a sleek glass exterior along with rows of balconies framed by curving projections. At its base, a mix of brick finishes and organic curves is meant to form a dialogue between the tower and heritage component along Yonge.
Updated plans include a total gross floor area (GFA) of 13,900 m². This is primarily proposed as residential space, accounting for 13,479 m², or 97% of the total GFA. The remaining 420.5 m² would be dedicated to ground-floor retail space. 136 condominium units are proposed above, unchanged from the 2017 proposal. These are planned in a mix of 9 studios, 58 one-bedrooms, 46 two-bedrooms, and 23 three-bedrooms.
You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like to, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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