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A residential tower proposed by developer Carlyle Communities for the southwest corner of Richmond and Peter Streets in Toronto's Entertainment District now includes a significant hotel component. In the latest plans presented to the City for approval, the architectsAlliance-designed Carlyle Condos has gone through a number of revisions since the initial rezoning application was tabled in 2015. A settlement offer was approved by City Council and the LPAT in 2018 detailing a 42-storey tower, but that has now changed.
City Council endorsed the settlement at its July, 2018 meeting, approving plans that would have seen a residential and retail development rising above five preserved heritage buildings at 128 Peter Street and 357-359 Richmond Street West. An LPAT hearing on January 7, 2020 approved the proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendment application but withheld its final order pending a number of preconditions, including the provision of the final form of the rezoning application.
Now, a revised settlement offer that was received by the City on May 19, 2020 is scheduled to be considered by City Council on May 28. It proposes the addition of a 106-room hotel and the removal of the retail component. Several other aspects of the design have also been altered in the new submission of materials.
Previously approved at 42 storeys, the new design contemplates a 39-storey volume. Although the height of the building excluding the mechanical penthouse has been reduced from 128.9 to 121.5 metres, the overall 141.36-metre height including the mechanical penthouse levels remains unchanged.
The hotel would occupy levels one through 13 within the tower, as well as the five heritage buildings on the property. Total residential gross floor area has been reduced from 22,581 to 16,777 m², resulting in a considerable drop of residential units from 348 to 270. Some of the amenity spaces will be shared between residents and hotel guests.
A network of exposed columns situated at the corner of Richmond and Peter, supporting the cantilevered tower above, has been eliminated in favour of a simplified four-storey base building. The cantilevers expressed overhead of the retained heritage buildings remain part of the plan, but are proposed at a lower height than previously envisioned.
A portion of the publicly accessible pedestrian walkway proposed along the western edge of the site would be reduced from three to two metres in response to changes to the design of the interior servicing court, and to accommodate loading, pick-up and drop-off spaces for the hotel.
The total number of vehicle parking spaces has increased from 56 to 58, and bicycle spaces have decreased from 363 to 287. A knockout panel previously planned in the underground parking garage to accommodate loading between the site and the adjacent property at 401 Richmond Street West has been removed.
City Council is expected to adopt the revised settlement offer at their meeting this week.
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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