The redevelopment of Toronto's Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood has never been a hotter prospect. Hot on the heels of news that a Herzog & de Meuron-designed supertall could be coming to Bay and Bloor, the property next door at 80 Bloor Street West is also gearing up for a major redevelopment. Plans by the Krugarand Corporation to intensify the site date back to 2013, and a revised scheme designed by Giannone Petricone Associates was revealed in November 2019. Now, another resubmission of planning materials made this week outlines a complete redesign of the proposal, which would climb 78 storeys and feature 1,430 residential units.

80-82 Bloor Street West, image retrieved from Google Street View

A rezoning application to replace the 18-storey office building at 80 Bloor Street West with a 68-storey architectsAlliance-designed tower was first tabled in October, 2013. After being appealed to the LPAT in August, 2017, the project was revised in November, 2019 featuring an updated 79-storey, 266.5-metre-tall plan that now stretched across the adjacent Harry Rosen property at 82 Bloor Street West.

Previous plan, looking southeast, image via submission to the City of Toronto

Following responses from the public, City staff and other stakeholders, a revised design was submitted on Monday. No renderings have been released for the new plan yet, only elevation drawings, so the architectural expression should be considered as only notional at this point.

Two of the primary concerns raised by the City to the November, 2019 plan related to the much larger than normal floorplate of the proposed tower—which ranged from 1,227 to 1,850 m²—and the tower's potential of shadowing of Jesse Ketchum Park.

North and west building elevations, image via submission to the City of Toronto

The revised development responds to these concerns by proposing a two-tower form, attached at a point, with each building having a floorplate of under 750 m², which is the City's normal maximum floorplate for residential towers. The westerly tower element is set close to Bloor Street, and would climb to a height of 78 storeys and 259.6 metres. The 76-storey easterly tower is pushed north to accommodate a 270-square-metre public square fronting Bloor. The change results in a positive reduction of shadowing on Jesse Ketchum Park.

The November, 2019 plan retained the Harry Rosen store, with the tower and the 17-storey base element wrapping above and around the structure. The June, 2020 submission contemplates the complete demolition of the store, continuing the 17-storey podium along Bloor Street West and north along Bellair Street.

South and east building elevations, image via submission to the City of Toronto

An 11.5-metre setback from the shared property line with 1200 Bay Street was agreed-upon between Krugarand and the City in their negotiations. The updated proposal continues to imagine retail uses on the concourse level and floors one through three along the street frontages, totaling approximately 7,000 m².

Total gross floor area has decreased from 121,965 to 117,645 m². Although the number of units remains the same at 1,430, the composition has changed to include additional one-bedroom layouts. A total of 243 bachelors, 840 one-bedrooms, 221 two-bedrooms, and 126 three-bedrooms are proposed. A planned outdoor amenity terrace on level 62 has been removed, while the outdoor amenity area on level 18 remains untouched. 

The podium fronting Bloor Street West would be articulated with an undulating pleated glass curtain wall wrapping the edges of the public park. The portion of the podium facing Critchley Lane would feature an aluminum and glass facade accented by a dark screen of mullions.

Site plan for 80 Bloor Street West, image via submission to the City of Toronto

The two tower elements would be clad in distinct materials to visually differentiate the pair from one another. The westerly tower features a pattern of spandrel and vision glass that reads as a "patchwork", helping to break up the scale of the building. The easterly tower sports a clear glass curtain wall articulated by deep horizontal sills at all floor slabs to emphasize the stacking of residential levels.

An LPAT status hearing was conducted by video on June 4. A hearing respecting the Zoning Bylaw Amendment application is currently scheduled for August 17.

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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