Initially submitted to the City of Toronto by Empire Communities in March, 2019, an updated Site Plan Application (SPA) makes revisions to a condo proposal at 162 Queens Quay East, just east of Jarvis. A second SPA followed this past December. Comments from City staff following the second submission have resulted in a follow-up submission this month, introducing general changes to plans to address comments received.

Now gearing up for sales under the moniker Quay House, the plan calls for a 21-storey, Kirkor Architects-designed tower set to rise just over 73 metres, and contain a total gross floor area (GFA) of 28,301 m², with 27,474 m² of residential space spread across 463 condominium units atop 828 m² of ground-floor retail space.

Previous and current versions of the project, images via submission to City of Toronto

In the time since the initial submission, the building's residential GFA has increased by 6,922 ft² to 295,725 ft² as a result of changing internal balconies to Juliet balconies. This change still falls within the approved GFA dictated by a pre-existing OMB/LPAT settlement for the site. Since this and other changes in the second submission, the massing and GFA have barely changed aside from a reconfiguration of the building's mechanical penthouse and a resulting revision to green roof calculations and layout.

Changes at street level include changes to the site's grading to incorporate the planned changes of Waterfront Toronto's Queens Quay Revitalization project. With the proposed development likely to be built before the completion of the infrastructure upgrade, the main Queens Quay frontage now includes risers that bring the building's sidewalks and entrances to the future grade of Queens Quay. Similarly, surface easements requested by the City have been incorporated into the plan. Along this revised street-level, retail units have been split up in the latest submission for a more fine-grained pedestrian experience.

Street level at Quay Tower, image via submission to City of Toronto

Architectural plans included in the latest submission highlight the range of finishes proposed for the building's exterior. The main finish would be a mix of silver and white metal panels framing a window wall system with vision glass and thin mullions. At street level, a mix of double glazing, wood panels, and metal details would greet residents, visitors, and retail patrons.

Exterior details at Quay Tower, image via submission to City of Toronto

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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