A December, 2018 proposal to redevelop a retirement home on Balmoral Avenue just south of the Avenue Road and St. Clair intersection in Toronto's Deer Park neighbourhood, has been resubmitted, seeking Zoning Bylaw Amendments and an Official Plan Amendment. The proposed Amica at The Balmoral Club project would replace the existing three-storey retirement building at 155 Balmoral—owned by Amica Senior Lifestyles—along with the two adjacent semi-detached houses to the east at 145 and 147 Balmoral.

Looking southeast toward the Balmoral Club, image retrieved from Google Street View

The redevelopment is proposed as a larger, up-to-date facility designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects. Since it was initially proposed, the developer Amica has received feedback through the application review process from City staff and the community. Amica has responded with a number of changes to the design including at ground level with improvements to the pedestrian realm's quality and safety.

Looking southwest to Amica at The Balmoral Club, image via submission to City of Toronto

The most notable revisions are to the building's height and massing. The overall height has been reduced from the previous proposal's 15 floors down to 13, and from 59.45 metres in height to 49.5 metres. 

Height reductions are accompanied by a proportional drop in the total gross floor area (GFA) which has fallen to 13,248 m² from the initial proposal's 15,184 m² GFA. Despite the reduction in size, the number of units remains unchanged at 147, proposed in a mix of 91 studios, 46 one-bedrooms, and 10 two-bedrooms. Proposed as rental tenure, the units will grouped on floors according to the level of care required for the building's residents, with 62 memory care units, 21 assisted living units, and 64 independent living units. Amenity space increases in the plan from 2,551 m² to 2,924 m².

Looking southwest to Amica at The Balmoral Club, image via submission to City of Toronto

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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