An early 2018 application to the City of Toronto seeking Site Plan Approval for a renovation of an apartment tower at 79-81 St Clair Avenue East has resurfaced. The updated application includes further details about the proposed Quadrangle-designed renovation planned for the podium of Azuria Group's The Towne Apartments. The plan would heavily alter the first two floors of the 1968-built 20-storey, slab-style apartment tower, winner of a National Award from the Canadian Housing Design Council in 1969.

Looking south to The Towne Apartments, image via Google Street View

The existing two-storey podium, containing grocery, retail, office, and school uses, would be expanded by 421 m², or 4,532 ft². Additions to the podium's gross floor area would be accomplished by extending the podium northward, eliminating a small courtyard, and improving the complex's street presence. This would bring the podium's totals up to 4,152 m² of retail, 2,096 m² of office, and 1,050 m² of institutional space.

Minimal changes are proposed below grade, including additional underground parking spots, and a new elevator serving the Sobeys grocery store on site. The ground floor would include 237 m² of added space, a reconfigured entrance to the retail component, an expanded footprint for the grocery store, three brand new retail spaces, and a new retail kiosk. 184 m² of new office space would be created on the second floor, with the added floor space resulting in additions to the accessible podium balcony above.

Looking southwest to The Towne Apartments, image via submission to City of Toronto

Architectural plans show how the exterior would be refreshed with a set of new materials. At the east end of the podium's north facade, the grocery store would be finished in curtainwall glazing with a series of vertical white aluminum fins suspended proud of the glazing. At the west end, glazing is planned without the fins, along with new address signage on a field of expanded aluminum mesh, as well as a new signage pylon indicating the podium tenants.